Goosebumps
by ariellewilson730
Summary: A sixteen year old girl, who first thought she was useless. She never smiled from the things she went through when she was younger. Then her life changed when she met nice people. Will she be happy again? It's up for her find out herself...
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

* * *

_"Get out of my face, you make me sick!"_

_"But..."_

_"I said, GET OUT!"_

_"But... I didn't do anything..."_

_"Oh? And you expect me to believe that he did it?"_

_"..."_

_"Of course it was her, mom. She wrecks everything she sees. I don't know why we had to take her in. She was just a mistake!"_

* * *

My eyes shot open as I awoke with a start, sitting upright in bed; shaking. The room felt hot and stuffy. I felt dampness on my face. Bringing my hand up to my face, I felt... tears? I was...crying...? Not only that, I felt sweat mixed with it, as well. I laid on my bed, my head resting on the single pillow. I stared at the ceiling. I had this same nightmare. Like...every night when I go to bed.

"It's just a nightmare," I told myself. "It was just... a nightmare." The word cracked out of my mouth. I closed my eyes, taking slow, deep breaths, letting them out, calming down my racing heart. I wish this horrifying dream will go away. Only... it won't. Opening my eyes, I kept gazing at the ceiling. I loosened the grip of the covers, getting out of bed. I went to my dresser, pulling out new clothes for the day.

Heading to the bathroom, I glanced myself at the hallway mirror. Yep, this is me... Hazel. A worthless sixteen year old ever. I gave myself a hateful look before continuing my way to the bathroom.

I shut the door, setting my fresh, clean clothes down. I turned on the shower, checking the temperature, wanting to water to be warm; not too hot and not too cold. Once I felt like the water is just right for me, I took off my sweaty clothes, and got in the shower, shampooing my light brown hair that only stops at my shoulders, then did the rest of myself.

Once I was finished, I quickly dried myself and got dressed. Right after I finished, I went down to the kitchen, heading for the fridge. I opened up the fridge door, only to find not much food in there. There was one cup of yogurt, though. I took it out of the fridge, then sat at the table and began eating. It wasn't much, but will have to do.

I threw the cup away and put the spoon in the dishwasher. "I should do some shopping to fill up my fridge..." I walked over to my money box. Except I only have three dollars. Not enough to buy food. I gritted my teeth a bit, closing up the box. "I just have to earn money for it," I sighed.

Making my way to the living room, I slipped on my shoes. I checked to see if they're tied tight enough. Feeling satisfied, I nodded my head, letting myself know that these are tied tight enough and that I am ready. I grabbed the door, my head down, eyes closed. You can do this, Hazel... Don't think about the things you are thinking now. Deep breath and relax. Nothing's bad gonna happen to you. Just do your thing, and then come right back home.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, stepping out onto the porch of my home. I walked down the path, and onto the sidewalk. I saw kids biking their way to school. One kid looked at me. I turned my head and did not look at her. I know what will happen. I knew what she's gonna do to me... I had it happened to me before.

Soon I came across a neighborhood that I never came to.

That's when I saw a man dressed in black, along with black shoes and black-framed glasses, stepped out of the house. I notice his dark hair was slicked back as he made his way to his mailbox.

Taking another deep breath, I walked over to him. "Excuse me?" I spoke. The man opened his mailbox, taking out some envelopes. I wasn't sure if he heard me. I am kind of soft with my voice, so I spoke louder. "Excuse me, sir?" The man then gazed at me. And the look he gave me was serious and creepy. Like I was an alien from outer space or something. I looked down at the ground. "Do you have any chores for me to do?" I asked, feeling hesitant. "It's okay if you don't...have any..."

He shut his mailbox, still eyeing me like a hawk. "Chores?" he said, brow raised. "Why?"

"To get money," I simply replied, still staring at the ground.

"Do your parents give you money?" he asked me.

"...I don't have any parents anymore. And I don't want to talk about," I told him.

"Do you have..."

"...yes... And I don't want to talk about that either. Just... Do you have any chores for me? You can pay me whatever you want." I looked up at him. He was still giving me his creepy look. "What...? Why are you staring at me like that?" I didn't like the way he was looking at me. I had these looks before.

"Are you saying that... you live on your own?" he questioned.

My hand twitched, and I pressed it against my side. "Yeah... I do..." Don't ask anymore questions about me, please. "Do you have chores for me? I don't care how much I get paid."

He thought about it for a second. "You know," he began, "I was going to clean up the kitchen, putting the breakfast plates in the dishwasher, clean the counter, so... Yeah, you can do the kitchen. You can also dust all the rooms if you like. And I'll give you thirty dollars."

"Okay."

"By the way, what's your name?" A smile came onto his face.

"...Hazel..."

"Oh! That's a pretty name. Is it because if the eyes?" I didn't answer, I just nodded. He noticed my expression, tilting his head to the side. "Is something wrong...?" he said with a concerned look.

"...nothing..." I shrugged. "Nothing is wrong."

"...okay. Well, I'm Mr. Shivers. But you can call me Shivers." He held up his hand, only I didn't take it. I just stared at him. He chuckled. "You're supposed to shake my hand," he told me, as if I didn't know what to do.

"I don't like to be touched," I told him, giving a bit of an attitude.

He put his hand down. "I see..."

Feeling like I jerk, I began to feel guilty. "I'm sorry," I quickly apologized, feeling panicky inside my chest. "I didn't mean to sound like. It's just that-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm not mad at you," he responded to my panic. "You don't like to be touched, I respect that." He straightened out his mail. "Come with me," he gestured, waving his hand for me to follow him. I stood there for a few seconds. He seems friendly... even though he looks like a devil.

I entered into his home. It looked very nice. Just like my house. I looked around the living room for a little while.

"Hazel." I turned to him "The cleaning supplies are under the sink in the kitchen, which is right over there," Shivers directed. "I'll be out taking the weeds out of the garden. Come get me if you need anything, okay?"

"Got it." I went into the living room and made my way to the kitchen, just as he walked out the front door, making his way to the backyard of his house.

Looking around the kitchen, I saw breakfast dishes, along with pans already used. Plus silverware, glass cups, and a spatula. Of course, I clean off the food before putting the dishes in the dishwasher. I tried to get most of the scrambled egg off, though. It wasn't easy. I mean... egg sticks to everything, right?

Placing the dishes between the racks, I made sure they're placed in right. I put the packet of gel in that is the color of greenish-blue. I put it in the dishwasher, closed it, shut it, and turn it on. I heard it hum and it began running. I then went over to the sink to see egg pieces, bacon pieces, as well as pancake pieces. I turned on the faucet, letting the food go down the drain.

As I was doing that, I turned on the garbage disposal. I was then greeted by a foul smell. I quickly switched it off, knowing how to get rid of the smell of food, mainly eggs. I went over to the fridge, finding some tangerines. I grabbed at least three of them. I set them on the counter and began peeling them.

"Hello. Who are you?" I stopped what I was doing, facing behind me. There was a girl about my age with long, dark brown hair that passes her shoulders. "What's your name and what are you doing in my house?"

"I'm doing chores to get money," I answered.

"Really? Do your parents give you allowance?" she replied.

"I don't have parents anymore..." I went back to peeling the skin of the tangerines.

"What about..."

"Yes, but I don't want to talk about...that." I finished taking the skin off and throwing away the trash. I took the fruits apart, throwing it in the garbage disposal. I clicked on the switched. We both listened to the hum of the blades, until we were met with the tangerine smell.

"Wow," she expressed, "where'd you learn to do that?"

I shrugged. "...nobody... I just did myself." I took out the counter cleaner and grabbed the sponge on top of the sink. I spritz some on the counter. "So you're Shivers' daughter?" I assumed, wiping down the counter with a sponge that is already wet and soapy from scrubbing the food off the dishes.

"Yeah, I'm Hannah," she introduced. "What's your name?"

"Hazel." I grabbed some paper towels, mopping up as much soap and water as I can off the counter, getting it dry. I threw the towels away into the trash can. "You know...your dad seems... odd. Weird. Odd... really odd."

Hannah brushed her fingers through her hair. "Don't take it personally, he doesn't really like anyone."

I frowned. "He...doesn't like anyone?"

"No, no. It's means that..." She sighed. "I'm not saying that he hates people, he...well... he keeps to himself. It's no big deal." She kept looking at me. "So how much is my dad paying you?"

"Thirty dollars," I answered, taking out some wood polish and a rag. "I use the money to buy food to fill my fridge up at my house."

"Wait... You live on your own?" She sounded shocked.

"Pretty much. But... like I said... I don't want to talk about it." I sprayed some polish on the coffee table, cleaning it down. "If you don't mind, I get this done when I'm not being bothered..." I looked down at the carpet. "If it's okay with you, that is..."

"It's no problem at all." Hannah took my request lightly. "I'll be just up in my room." She went towards the steps, then stopped. "You know... you're name matches perfectly with you," she smiled.

"Yeah..." was all I could respond back. I watched her go up the steps to her room. Then I finished dusting up the living room. After, I headed up the stairs to the first room I spotted. The study room. Walking into the room, I went up to the desk. It didn't need to be cleaned down, but just to be safe, I'll do it. And just as I was about to do it, my eyes caught something. A tall bookshelf filled with books from the top shelf to bottom shelf.

Curious, I went over to it. I looked at the books and took one off the shelf. I looked at the title; examining it. My brows furrowed at the title. _"Ghost Beach?"_ I read. I set the book back in its place, using my finger to scan the titles of each book. _"Return Of The Mummy... Vampire Breath... Deep Trouble... Escape From The Carnival Of Horrors... Let's Get Invisible!..._ These are all _Goosebumps_ manuscripts," I realized. I took out another book titled _A Nightmare On Clown Street_. "R.L. Stine..." I examined the book. "...nobody had no idea who he is." I also noticed something else. Two clasps clamped tightly together, preventing the book from being opened. "Why are these books locked...?" I wondered.

"That's for you not to find out." Startled, I almost dropped the book. I saw Shivers and Hannah at the entrance of the room. I gulped. I've been caught! I'm dead meat for this!

Shivers walked over to me, taking the book away from me. "These books have to be kept locked..." he said in a mysterious tone of voice.

"Why? What will happen?" I wanted to know why they were locked.

"I won't tell you. If I do-"

He was cut off by a noise outside, like objects falling on the ground. Hannah went to window to check it out.

"Smooth," she started to comment. "So you're the new neighbor?" she asked.

"Yeah." It was a male voice. "Nice to meet you."

"How long was the drive from New York?" There was a slight, awkward pause, and the new neighbor didn't seem to understand what she meant. "No. I can just tell by the pretty hat that you have..." she explained, hiding behind the curtains just a bit.

"Oh, no." There was a chuckle outside. "This... No. This is... This is actually a gift from my aunt," he responded. Huh... I wonder where he's from... Oh yeah, New York, just like Hannah mentioned.

"It's also a gift for me and for everyone who gets to see you wearing it," Hannah empathized, gesturing her hand.

"I'm Zach, by the way." Zach... That's a nice name.

"I'm Hannah," she told him.

"Hannah!" I saw Shivers motioning his hand. "Get away from the window now," he ordered.

She looked at her father, and then out the window. "I gotta go." She slipped away from the window.

"Good talk." By the tone of Zach's voice, I can tell he was being sarcastic. Shivers went over to the window, pushing the curtains away as he gazed down. "Hi. Hey, we're just moving in." Shivers didn't say anything, he just kept on... staring. "Just... Just me and my mom..." He squinted his eyes at this Zach person. "This hat was a gift..."

"Do you see that fence?" Shivers asked, pointing outside where the fence is at, separating the two houses. I listen to hear Zach answer his question, only he didn't. "Do. You. See. The fence?" he pressed out, like this new neighbor doesn't know English.

"Uh, yes," the new neighbor finally answered.

"Stay on your side of it," he stated harshly. "You stay away from my daughter..." He pointed at Hannah. "...you stay away from me..." He pointed to himself. "...and we won't have a problem." He then closed the curtains roughly, walking away from the window.

"Dad... can I..."

"No, Hannah," he protested sternly. "You stay away from him."

"Can I just say-"

"I said _**no**_**,** Hannah. You stay away from that boy... or else." Those last words sounded like a threat, making my spine shiver. "Stay away from him..."

"Uh... Mr. Shivers," I piped up. "Even though you don't want to tell me why the books are locked up... do you have any idea who R.L. Stine could be...?"

"Uhhh..." He looked around nervously. "Oh! Here you go; fifty dollars," he practically exclaimed, shoving the money into my hands.

"Thank you?" I responded in shock. "But we agreed on thirty dollars."

"I know, so I decided to give you more."

"So... you have no idea who Stine could be...?"

"Bye!" he declared.

I flinched. "Alright, bye." I waved. "...have a nice day..." Walking down the steps, I couldn't help but feel a bit angry. Why wouldn't he answer my questions? Why!?

The questions about the books being locked and Shivers behavior had them swimming around my head as I made my way to my home, the money in my pockets.

* * *

As I made way home, I kept thinking about the manuscripts in Shivers' study. For some reason, he's keeping a secret. All I asked is why the books are locked and if he has any idea who Stine could be. I mean, it's not a hard question. And Shivers basically shooed me away. And when I did walked out the door, I... actually wanted to say hi to the new neighbor. Except... I couldn't... Even though he sounds friendly, that never convinces me to say 'Hi' and all that stuff. I mean, I've been through so much that...well... I sighed, picking up the pace as I walked to my home, before stopping for a split second. I gazed at a medium sized house... I know this place... My eyebrows narrowed.

I kept giving this house an angry look, before continuing my way to my house. My own house. Ignoring the one that I just saw, just for now. No need to worry, I'm not living there anymore.

At least I'm away from that... place.

* * *

By the time I walked into my home, I stored my money away, making a note to go to the store later. I walked over to the living room, laying myself on the couch on my side, staring at bookshelf filled with my_ Goosebumps_ books. I had read every single one of them. And... for some reason, they make feel at ease, even though they're creepy books.

The books on my bookshelf reminded me of the manuscripts in Shivers' study. Why are those books locked? And... who could Stine possibly be? He disappeared a long time ago. And he did acted... strange. Unusual, to be exact, when I saw his behavior. Is he... keeping a secret...? If he was...then... what is it?

Shutting my eyes, I decided to take a short nap, suddenly feeling fatigued for unknown reason. Yeah, just one small nap. Just only for an hour. And maybe... maybe I'll feel more awake...

* * *

My small nap turned into a deep sleep, and by the time I opened my eyes, it was night time. Oh well, this happens all the time. At least I feel more awake. I glanced at the clock; reading ten p.m. at night.

"I should go for a walk..." I decided. Since I still have my shoes on, I got up and went up to the front door; opening it. The nightly breeze whipped my hair back gently as I stepped out of the house. It was quite. Very quite. I saw no cars or people. Good... That's just how I wanted to be... all by myself, where nobody has to bother me...

I kicked a rock out of my way, putting my hands in my front pockets, walking... just... walking. I walked, and walked, and walked. Walking makes me feel calm and relaxed. I don't know why, but it does.

I made a turn, heading towards the woods. I've been here multiple times to get away from everything. Plus I never saw anyone else around here. At least, not once.

Thinking about going in another direction I never went to, I decided to do that.

Just as I was walking, hearing my own footsteps on the dirt ground, I heard voices.

"Come on." It sounded like Hannah. I followed the source of her voice, jogging down the path. I stopped, finding myself at an abandoned amusement park with a Funhouse, food carts, rides, and a Ferris wheel. I saw two people up there. One of them was Hannah, who is sitting at the top of the Ferris wheel; her feet propped up on the railing, and a boy. From my guess, I believe that's the new neighbor, Zach. I watched as he was making his way over to Hannah, gripping the metal bars of the ride. "You can do it," she encouraged. "Just don't look down," she added.

"I know..." he answered, being very careful.

"You're not gonna fall."

Zach chuckled. "Wasn't planning on it..." He then managed to reach her, with Hannah waiting for him.

"There you go," she praised.

"Hi."

"Hi."

Watching from below, Zach made is way to the seat. "Alright... so...I'm high off the ground..." He slowly sat down, facing Hannah.

"It's cool, right?" she said, sounding proud of herself.

"Yeah..." I saw Zach gaze at the view. "It's cool," he agreed. "You can see everything from here."

"So... why did you move to Madison?" Hannah asked.

"Well... my mom said to me: 'Zach, if we can live anywhere around the world, where would it be?' And I said: 'Can we please move to Madison, Delaware...'" I heard Hannah giggle. "'...that'd be my dream'," he answered.

She giggled again. "Are you always this sarcastic?" That was a question that came into my head, too.

"Always?" Zach thought about it. "No, that's a strong word. Not always. Usually." From below, I saw him sigh. "I'm sorry," Zach apologized. "It's just, um... It's just me and my mom since my dad died last year, so yeah..."

His dad died...? I felt a bit of sadness, knowing how he feels. Hannah, on the other hand, felt the same way. "I'm sorry..."

"I don't really think about it anymore. So what about you?" It was now his turn to ask questions.

I wanted to join them... except... I never like being high off the ground. So I just kept on listening, even though it's rude to eavesdrop.

"Well, I never knew my mom, and we're always moving from one town to the next," she said.

"That sucks..." I heard Zach mutter. "Hey, can I ask you something really serious, Hannah?" I wonder what he's going to ask her.

From below, I watched Hannah lean in, looking into his eyes. "Yeah. What?"

I saw Zach glancing at the ground. "How do we get down?" There was fear that creeped out of his mouth. Hannah let out a laugh. "I'm serious," he insisted. "Is there a plan?"

Hannah shook her head, smiling. "No."

"How do you normally get down?" he asked her. Yeah... how do you get down from that thing?

"You can't. You're stuck," she teased. That's when she spotted me. "Hazel?" I saw her climb over Zach, before making her way down the Ferris wheel with ease. I also saw Zach doing the same thing, following each step that she took. "Hazel, what are you doing here?" she said, coming up to me, with Zach next to her. I noticed her hair was tied back in a ponytail, which she didn't had before when I met her.

"Um... I was taking a walk, until I heard voices. So I followed them, and found myself here, and you guys," I explained, gesturing my hand. "Was I... invading your..."

"Oh, no. No. You weren't," Zach assured me. "So you're Hazel? That's a nice name. I can tell why you have that name." He went over to me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "I never-"

_**"Don't touch me!" **_Immediately, Zach took his hand off of me, startled by my outburst with Hannah having a startled look on her face, surprised that I screamed like that, so I apologized. "I'm sorry. It's just... I don't like being touched." Zach opened his mouth, but I stopped him. "And I don't want to talk about why, though," I added.

"I understand," he assured me, smiling. He saw my expression. "Are you okay...?"

"Huh?" I shook my head. "Y-Yeah," I stuttered. "I'm always like this..."

"How come?"

I was about to say something until Hannah spoke up. "She just said she didn't want to talk about it." She then turned to me. "You want to hang with us tonight?" she offered, smiling.

It took me a minute to reply. "...sure."

"Great!" she beamed. "Follow me," she then gestured.

"Where are you taking us?" Zach jogged to keep up with her. Of course I followed, dragging my feet on the ground, making lines in the dirt with my sneakers. "Hannah, wait up," Zach called out.

It didn't take long to find out where she was taking us. There, over by a cart, was Hannah, waving for us to come closer. We did so. As we got closer, I saw something in the cart. Something fuzzy, blue, and sticky. Not to mention stale as well. Taking a closer look, I raised a brow.

"Is this... cotton candy?" I questioned, not wanting to touch it.

Hannah grinned. "That's right. Would you like some?"

"Um..." I took a step back. "No, thank you..." I shook my head. "I don't eat... expired food..."

"That's fine." She turned to Zach. "What about you?" she said, pointing at him. "Are you going to have some?" Her eyes seemed to be daring him to do it.

"Uh...sure. I'll... I'll take a small bite..." He reached in a took a small piece of fuzzy, blue cotton candy, and put it in his mouth. I shivered, but he seemed to enjoy it, so I didn't complain.

He kept eating it. From what I'm guessing, I believe that he likes her, and wants to impress her, just like all guys do these days.

"We should get home," she advised, looking around as if we're being watched.

"Yeah..." Zach nodded, agreeing.

I agreed, too. "Yeah... we should get home..."

"Come on." Hannah led us out of the forest.

* * *

"Wow," Hannah said a short while later. "I still can't believe you ate that cotton candy," she remarked.

"And you know what's scary?" Zach brought up. "It actually tasted... kind of fine." We reached the fence that separated the two houses. I glanced at Zach, who is rubbing the back of his head. "So, uh, thanks for tonight," he thanked. "That was the least terrible time I've had here..."

"Oh, Zach," she gushed, putting her hand on her chest. "That's so sweet..." Just like with Zach, it seems that she likes him just as he likes her. "That's... I... Really..."

"Okay," he replied softly. She went over a broken part of the fence, lifting up the loose board. Before she could go through to make her way to her home, Zach spoke up again. "Hey, Hannah." Hannah turned to him as I waited to see what he has to say next. "I'm... I'm gonna take out the trash on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So you know, if you want to creep up on someone... that works for me." I saw his cheeks turned pink.

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind, scaredy-cat," she smirked.

"Hannah!" a voice suddenly said. It was Shivers. "What are you doing out here?" he demanded.

"I'm so sorry..." Hannah apologized to her dad.

"Get in the house," he told her. Hannah stepped through the broken part of the fence, moving the loose board out of the way. Shivers poked his head out, his eyes locked on Zach. "This is your last warning," he said. "You stay away from us, or something _really_ bad will happen."

"What do you mean?" I replied.

"You don't need to know," he answered. He looked back at Zach. "Stay away from us," he warned again. "Stay away from my daughter and me, and we won't have a problem."

"I believe you..." Zach responded. Shivers got away from the fence as he made his way back to the house. Zach gazed at me. "You should get home before your parents find out your gone."

"I don't have parents anymore." Zach opened his mouth, and I knew what he was going to ask. "Yes, I know what you are about to say, but I don't want to talk about it. Okay?"

"Okay... that's alright with me," he nodded. "Bye," he waved.

"...bye..." I waved back. "Have a... nice night."

"Same goes for you," he smiled.

We both parted ways, making our way to our homes.

* * *

At home, I began to make myself something to eat. Even though I don't have much in the fridge, I found some stuff to make a sandwich. As I was eating, my mind suggest that I should take another walk after I do some reading.

By the time I was done, I went over my bookshelf and took out a copy of _Legend Of The Lost Legend_. I made my way over to the couch and sat down, opening to the first chapter. _"Justin Clarke tugged at his gloves under the sleeves of his heavy blue parka…"_ I began to read out loud, using the reading lamp that was next to me on the table to provide some light, since I keep the curtains closed at all times.

When I finished, I grabbed another book, then another, then another, then another, until I grabbed _Night Of The Living Dummy_. Hmm... I can read this one later... for now I should take another walk. One last walk for the night before I hit to bed.

I put my shoes back on, making my way out the door. I looked up at the sky with dark clouds looming over my head. There were no stars... no moon. Possibly hiding behind the clouds.

My shoes thudded with each step I took. Until I found myself at the fence that separated both Zach and Hannah's houses. I was about to keep going when I heard both Shivers and Hannah inside, having me walk to the side of the fence, standing at the side of Zach's home, and faced Hannah's house, and saw Shivers' shadow pacing at the window with Hannah just standing by it, seeing her shadow by the window as well, indicating me that it was both her and her father. I listened to their conservation... and it did not sound good at all...

"Dad, it's not a big deal," I heard Hannah tell him.

"Hannah, you have to understand..." I heard Shivers trying to reason with her.

"I don't have to understand anything!" Hannah raised her voice from inside the house. "We were just talking," she exclaimed. "Why can't I have friends?"

"You know _why!_" I stepped back when I heard him yell.

"That's not fair!" Hannah protested in a shrill voice. "You can't keep me locked up all the time."

"You are _never_ allowed to see that boy _ever_ again!" Shivers kept on yelling at his daughter. _"Do you understand me?!"_ His tone sounded more terrifying than I've ever heard. **_"EVER!"_**

"Dad, please calm down..." Her shrill voice turned into a plea. **_"No!"_** Suddenly, I saw her cowering in fear as she let out a horrifying scream as I heard a crash, the lights going out, making my heart race in my chest, both my hands twitching from what I had witnessed.

Is her dad doing what I think he is doing? No! It can't be! I then heard a door slam open, and saw Zach running full speed to the other house next door. And wanting to know what he's going to do, I went after him, but stayed away from the house, standing outside of the fence, watching Zach frantically knocking on the door.

"What? What?" Shivers opened the door halfway, holding it.

"I heard a scream," Zach told him, his voice sounding concerned. "Is Hannah okay?" he asked, which turns out that I wasn't the only one who heard her scream.

"There was no scream," he stated, looking at the boy with an eerie look in his eyes. "You didn't hear anything. Get out of here, or the last scream you'll hear will be your own." He then slammed the door shut.

"No. Wait... Wait..." He then began pounding the door, anger rising in his chest. "Let me see Hannah!" he screamed in rage. "I need to see if she's okay! Let me in the house, you psychopath!" He kept on pounding the door, louder and louder. "I said-!"

**_"Get away from the door, NOW!"_** Shivers screeched into the kid's face, startling him. **_"You are NOT seeing my daughter, EVER! Do you understand me?! I'm warning you!"_** He didn't give the boy a chance to speak as he slammed the door once again.

Zach stood there for a minute, stunned, before turning around and spotted me. "Hazel, did you saw what happened?" he asked.

"...yeah..." I said, glancing at the house. "...I saw it, too..."

"Yeah." Zach looked worried. "I'm going to tell my mom and call the cops on this... this... idiot who calls himself a father."

"Good luck..." I told him. He nodded and headed back into his house. My eyes kept staring at the house, questions bouncing around in my head. What happened to Hannah? Why does he have those manuscripts in his study? Why did he looked nervous when I asked him if he knew who Stine was? Why did he say that there was no scream? The questions are left with no answers... I couldn't come up with anything. What is going on in that house?

Soon I found out...

* * *

**Note: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. And... yeah. My chapter name doesn't sound... great. I'll do my best to put better chapter titles for each chapter. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2: Monster On The Loose

**Chapter 2: Monster On The Loose**

* * *

The leaves bristled in the nightly, cool air, as I was making my way to the amusement park. I don't know why, though. But I think it's best to stay out of the way when the cops come to Shivers' house. And... to be honest... I don't want to be around him anymore, nor do any house chores for both him and his daughter. Zach is right. Shivers really _is_ a psychopath. He reminds me of...

I went over to one of the wooden tables and sat down, resting my head on my arms that are on the tabletop, my eyelids halfway down as I stared straight ahead of me, looking at the Funhouse. I kept staring at it. If it was a Funhouse, then it wouldn't look... creepy.

I sat up, brushing my hair back, getting off the bench that was attached to the table, walking around some more, exploring more of the place, seeing more rides. I went over to one of them, pressing the buttons. Nothing. None of these rides work anymore. I wonder why it was shut down. Did they run out of money? If so, how can you if run an amusement park? I bet it was a great place... for friends and family.

Not wanting to explore this old park anymore, I made my way back out of the woods, making my way to Shivers' house. I felt like I needed to get in his face and tell me why he was hurting Hannah, who is his only daughter. And the more steps I took, the angrier I felt.

"Do you have any idea what the penalty is for filling in a false police report?" I heard someone demanded as I reached the house, but stopped where I was at. That's where I saw Shivers, Zach, two cops; one male and one female, and another lady. I'm guessing the other lady is Zach's mom.

"Three years," the female cop declared.

"Close," the male cop said. "But it's actually a written warning," he corrected. Wait... they thought that Zach was... lying...? Boy, these cops are stupid.

"Hold on, hold on. Mom, tell me _you_ don't believe him," Zach pointed at Shivers, who had a sly smirk on his face. "Surround sound? _Seriously?_" he questioned. Surround sound...? "I heard Hannah scream, mom. Hannah is in that house! She didn't move to London, and she _certainly _does not have a mother. Don't listen to what he says. Hannah is in the house, and-"

"Zach, enough." Clearly his own mother didn't believe a word her own son was telling her. "Go home." Not wanting to argue, Zach went to back to the house, slamming the door in the process. His mom gave the officers an apologizing look. "Oh, officers. I'm so sorry..."

"It's alright, ma'am," the male cop assured. "I feel like we should recommend a good treatment center for your son." He looked at the house that is next Shivers', rubbing his chin. "Yeah... that kid's on drugs..."

"That kid's on drugs," his partner agreed, nodding.

"He is not on drugs!" All five adults saw me standing outside of the open gate. "He is not on drugs!" I repeated, going over to them. I gave each of them an angry look. I looked at Zach's mom. "How can you not believe your own son?" I demanded. I didn't give her a chance to answer me, and if she tells me her name, I don't care. I then turned to the cops. "Why did you think he's on drugs? By the looks of it, it didn't seem like you checked for evidence to see if Hannah's alright or not. And Hannah is in the house when I was doing some chores for him." I pointed at her so called father. The female cop opened her mouth to say something. "I don't want to hear it," I declared. I then gave Shivers a hateful look. "And you... I know what you did to her..." I faced away from them. "I'm going to check to see if Zach's okay. This is why some adults are stupid these days." I walked away from them, going over to Zach's house. I knocked on the door, and it opened.

"Oh... Hey, Hazel," he greeted once he answered it. "What are you doing here?"

"Is it okay if I come in...?" I asked.

"Um... sure...I guess." He let me inside. "So... you saw everything...that happened in there...?"

"Yes, I can't believe no one believed you. I mean..." I squeezed my eyes shut. "...why wouldn't they? And your mom... she didn't believe you, either." I was both angry and upset at the same time. "And she's your mom. Also... are you okay?"

"I know... no one is going to believe us... And yeah, I'm... I'm fine..." Zach sighed. "Want me to give you a tour of the house?" he asked. "We are still moving in, so you're going to see some boxes with stuff in them."

"Sure...okay..." I shrugged.

The tour of the house seems nice. I think Zach wants me to be his friend. He is friendly... only, what if he was just pretending? What if Hannah was pretending, too? That thought stayed in my head when we got to Zach's bedroom. It was a nice, looking room. There was a desk, a bed, a rug on the floor, and posters on the walls. Even some other things. His backpack hung from one of the straps of the chair that is in front of his desk.

"I like your room..." I commented, walking to each poster, observing them.

"Thanks..." Zach replied, sitting on his bed. We didn't talk for a long while. "Hey, Hazel, mind if I ask you something?" he said.

"Yeah, sure, go ahead," I allowed.

"This the second time I saw you this night, and...um...well... I haven't seen you smile. Even when you were hanging out with me and Hannah at the old, abandoned amusement park. We were both having a great time, and... you didn't seem to enjoy it like we did..." He sighed again. "...all I wanted to know is... how come I never seen you smile?"

His question struck me in the chest. I wasn't offended by his question. I was just... surprised that he that he asked me that. "...I used to be happy; smiling all the time, but..." It was my turn to sigh. "I like I said... I don't want to talk about... Maybe... Maybe I'm not ready... I'll... I'll tell my story someday. And if Hannah ask, I'll tell her the same thing..." Tears obscured my eyes, and I quickly dried them with my shirt. "And if you have any other... friends... I'll... I'll...just tell them someday, too." My eyes finally dried away. "And the reason I don't want to tell it is because...it's... awful..." My voice almost cracked. "...and it's...very upsetting... story."

"I understand. You can take your time. No need to rush," he replied, before we heard footsteps outside the upstairs hallway. Then we saw his mom walked into the room, and she saw me.

"Oh, it's you," she said, smiling a bit. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Hazel," I answered even though I didn't feel like it, and I even though I didn't want to ask her this, but I did. "What's your name?"

"Gale Cooper," she introduced. "I see you met Zach here."

"Yeah, and how come you don't believe your own son?" I brought up again.

"Hazel, it's fine," Zach spoke up. "Just... don't worry about it." He looked up at Gale. "What do you want, mom?" he asked.

"I called aunt Lorraine to come watch you for tonight while I'm chaperoning the _Fall Formal Dance _at the Madison High School," she told him with a firm look.

"Okay... thanks for telling me, mom," Zach replied. Gale then left the room. I drummed my fingers on the desk.

"Your mom works at the high school?"

"Yeah." Zach shook his head up and down. "She's the new Vice Principal."

"Oh." I flicked my hair a little. "That's... cool."

"Zach!" It was a woman's voice from downstairs.

Zach got off of his bed. "It's aunt Lorraine..." He stopped at the doorway, looking at me. "Want to meet her?"

"Yeah... okay," I said. He took me down to the kitchen where I saw a lady sitting at the table on her phone. She looked up to see her nephew, giving out a bright smile.

"Hey there, handsome boy," she said in a happy tone. "And who is this?"

"Hazel," I told her, answering for Zach. "You're Lorraine... right?" I asked.

"That's me." She kept on giving that bright, wonderful smile that is on her face. She looks like one of those happy, cheery people. "It's a good thing that Zach has a friend."

"Yeah... it's great..." I still think that both Hannah and Zach are just pretending, though.

Lorraine did a slight frown. "Is something wrong...? You look... sad..." she pointed out.

"...I'm always like this..." I stared at the floor. "But... I don't want to talk about why I feel this way..."

"Oh, alright, well, why don't you two sit down at the table with me." We did so, and she began telling about her date that she had, looking through her phone again as she told us this story. Only we didn't pay much attention to it all. "...So we went out to get sushi on Wednesday. And we both ordered the chicken teriyaki, and it was like, 'it's fate'. And I haven't heard him since, you know? Which was a bummer, because I really like him. He didn't laugh at _any_ of my jokes, but I felt something was there..." I put my hand my cheek, my elbow on the tabletop. Zach had his head down slightly. "I don't know," she continued. "Not like I even care." With the corner of my eye, I watched her shrugged her shoulders. "It's like... whatever. I should listen to my psychic..." She has a psychic...? For what? "She says, 'Stop dating losers, and never go on a plane'." I understand the first part. But... the second part? Not to go on plane? Wow, she has a strange psychic. "I knew it," Lorraine kept on going. She looked up from her phone, putting it on the table. "You think he's playing hard to get?" she asked.

I breathed out of my nose. "Yes..." I was getting bored of this story, and so was Zach.

"Oh, so you believe he's playing hard to get?" She looked down at the table. "Or the more likely a scenario: He lost his phone in, like, a fire," she theorized. She stopped to think about. "Yeah, he lost his phone."

"Yeah, I do too," Zach manage to speak up. "You know, I..." He got up from the table, and his aunt lifted her head up. "I totally forgot. I have a test on Monday that I gotta study for. So... I'm gonna do that all night, and... definitely don't come into my room," he advised. I read his face. I know what he is up to. "Yeah, see you," he waved, and he walked up to his room to 'study'.

"Night, sweetie." Lorraine then sat there. "But you know what?" she said. "I'm just gonna a call him." She picked up her phone. "Now I'm worried that he's dead." As she was about to call her date, I got up from the table, scratching at the back of my neck.

"I'm... I'm going to help him study," I told her, wondering if she can pick up my lie. "So yeah... like Zach said, don't come into the room."

"Alright, dear." She didn't lift her head up, so she hadn't been paying attention to what I just said.

With that, I made my way up to his room. When I got there, he had his phone in his hand. "What are you going to do?" I wondered.

"I'm going to call him, pretending to be the cops," he explained. "Then call Champ to meet us at the fence." He then dialed Shivers' number. We heard the phone ring and ring, until it was picked up.

"Hello?" Shivers' voice spoke through the phone.

"Uh, hi," Zach began in a police-like voice. "We want to talk about the domestic disturbance that happened tonight. Mind if you come of you come to the station?" he said.

There was a pause on the other end. "Sure, I'll be there," he replied.

Zach put his phone on his shoulder, giving a wink and a thumbs up, telling me that the plan is working. He put the phone back against his ear. "Thank you, sir. We'll see you there. Bye." He hung up. "Plan is set," he declared. "Now I just need call Champ, tell him to meet us, and we're ready."

"Who's 'Champ'?" I asked.

"A weird kid that I met at school," Zach answered my question, dialing another phone number. Just like the first time, the phone rang from the other end.

"Hey," a voice said, sounding relaxed. "Who is it?"

"Champ, it's me; Zach. Some girls are coming over; they'll be waiting for us at fence on Monroe, Fifty-Five Main Street for us to take them to the dance."

"Okay, cool." I heard this 'Champ' guy getting all excited. "I'll be there in twenty minutes," he promised. The phone went off, and Zach put it in his pocket of his hoodie.

"I can't believe that actually worked," he mused.

"Zach, you do realize he's going to see me with you. What are you going to say to him for that?" I questioned.

"Don't worry about, I'll explain it to him why he had to meet us," he responded. "Now let's go." He went over to the window and opened it, before climbing down the tree that was next to it. After he came to the ground, he motioned me to follow him. I took a deep breath, climbing out of the window and, not looking down, made my way to the ground. Like I said, I don't like being up high.

"Come on." He kept on motioning his hand for me to keep on following him. We then stopped by the fence where there is sturdy trash bin. "Now we wait for this strange kid," he said.

"How come he's strange and weird?" I asked as we waited for him.

"You'll see," he replied. "And speaking of Champ, there he is." He pointed behind me, and I saw a boy, grinning, as he straightened out his suit, brushing the sleeves of it as well. He also had a tie on, too. "Hey, hey, hey." Zach waved his hands to get his attention. "Over here," he whispered loud enough for Champ to hear him. Champ ran up to us.

"Wait," he said, "how is this going to work? Are you my wingman, or am I yours?" He gazed up and down at Zach's clothes. "Is that what you're wearing to the dance?"

"I gotta tell you something," Zach replied, ignoring his question. "Get down." He pulled us to the ground.

"Dude, no. This is a new suit," Champ told him once we lowered ourselves slightly to the ground. Boy, he's kind of a whiner. Not only he's strange and weird, but he's also a whiner, just like little kids when they act like that when they want a toy, except their parents won't buy it, and they whine for it. "Get off." He pushed Zach's hand off his shoulder. "Where are the girls?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah, I just said that to get you over here," Zach admitted. "I need your help with something."

"So there are no girls?"

"Well, there is one girl..."

"Oh! My man!" Champ declared happily, a wide grin on his face.

"Shh!" Zach shushed, putting his index finger to his lips.

"What? What?" he said, then pointed at me. "Is it her?"

"Actually... no," I replied. "We are not... boyfriend and girlfriend... just friends." I hope we are friends... "It's a different girl; Hannah."

"Yeah, but she's locked up in this house, and her dad's a psychopath," Zach also said next.

Champ looked at us. "Does she have a friend?"

Zach shook his head. "No," he stated.

"We're serious," I responded. "And we're not kidding."

"You know," Champ brought up, "besides her and this girl named Hannah, you said there were going to be girls... and not only there are _no_ girls, but there's also a psychopath... and I'm in a suit." He showed us his suit, before saying anything else. "How do you know this guy's gonna leave?"

"Zach called him and pretended to be the cops," I explained. "And he asked him to come to the police station."

The awkward teen looked over at Zach. "You can get in trouble for that," he told him.

"Actually, it's just a written warning." Zach then pulled us to the ground, having us on our hands and knees, only Champ didn't seem too fond about it as he started whining again, only slightly this time.

"Dude. This wet dirt, dude. My pants are gonna get muddied." He pointed at the ground.

"Who cares if they get dirt on them?" I was getting annoyed by this kid. "It'll come out of the wash."

"But it's dry-clean only," he mumbled, not whining anymore.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes. Zach slowly stood up, and we did the same, peaking our eyes over the fence. He pointed.

"He's right there." We saw Shivers walk out of his house to his car.

"Whoa..." Champ breathed out. We waited for him to get in the car. We watched him; spying on him, as he opened the driver's side, getting into his vehicle. He started the car, getting off the driveway, and onto the road, heading to the police station, just like Zach had planned.

"Alright, let's go." Zach climbed on the trash bin, going over the fence. I also did the same, landing with ease.

"Come on," I ushered Champ from the other side.

"Okay, okay." I heard him get on the trash bin. "Ow!" he screamed, failing at jumping over the fence, landing flat on his stomach and face. He got up, brushing his suit, getting it smoothed down. "Dudes, my dry-cleaning bill's gonna be ridiculous," he muttered.

Zach rolled his eyes. "Just come on." We went over to the basement door that was across from us. Zach took out a safety pin and began picking at the lock that kept the door closed. A second later, there was a _click_. Champ had this impressed look on his face.

"Whoa..." he expressed out. "Where'd you learn that? New York?"

"No," Zach answered. "YouTube."

He blinked, knowing what he meant. "Oh." Zach undid the lock, opening the door wide open. He took out his flashlight, clicking it on, revealing stairs going down into the basement. Zach turned over to Champ.

"Okay, stay out here and watch the driveway," he instructed.

I saw worried look on Champ's face. "Wait here by myself? Out in the dark?"

This time, Zach was getting annoyed by him. "Yes, Champ, _your_ the lookout," he repeated. "Me and Hazel are going to check on Hannah to see what happened to her."

"So if Shivers comes back, give us a sign like..." I made some owl noises. "Got it?" I said.

"Okay," Champ replied, "just to be clear, if I sense any danger, I _will _run the other way." Me and Zach looked at each other, shaking our heads. He's not going to be very helpful, is he?

"Just watch the driveway, okay? That's all you have to do." I can't believe that Zach hired him. So I let it slide, not wanting to complain. "Ready?" I waited for Zach's answer.

"Let's go." After he answered, we made our way down the steps, the light helping us see through the darkness. "Whoa!" Zach cried out when a cuckoo clock sprang out a yellow bird, making me yelp out. I looked around the basement. It was pretty creepy... It sent a chill down my spine, and my hand twitched with nervousness.

"Where are we...?" I asked Zach, even though we were in the basement. "It feels like we're in a torture chamber..." I shivered.

"That's what I was thinking..." His flashlight shone around the room.

Suddenly, we felt something like hands on our shoulders. We both cried out, and turned to see Champ in the room with us. "What the hell, man?" Zach exclaimed, waving his hands around, the light from the flashlight bouncing all over the room. "You were supposed to be on the lookout," he told him, mad that he couldn't stay in one spot.

"Yeah, and I don't like to be touched," I snipped, mad at Champ as well.

"Sorry, didn't know," he muttered.

"It's fine." I pointed out the door. "Now go back out there and be the lookout."

"And that's gonna change," he refused, ignoring what I told him to do. "I'll just be the lookout, you know, in here."

"No, no." Zach shook his head. "By definition, you have to be out... looking."

"Yeah, now go on," I said.

"Let me explain something to you, Zacharias and Hazel," he began. "You know how they say teenagers have no fear of death? That they are not going to get hurt? Well, not me, okay?" He pointed at himself. "I was born with the gift of _fear_. I remember being four, being pushed on the swing, thinking: 'This is how it ends'." He waved his arms dramatically.

"You're not gonna die," I reassured him, suddenly feeling bad for him. "Alright?"

"Yeah," Zach said next. "At least... not today."

"See, it's going to be okay," I kept reassuring him. "It's gonna be okay."

"Yeah, your right," he agreed as he calmed down.

"Okay."

"I'm being ridiculous..." He put his hands on his hips, before looking over us. "Oh, bear traps." Not knowing what he meant at first, Zach and I turned, and saw what Champ was talking about.

Zach shined on each one with his flashlight. "Who puts bear traps in their basement...? I mean, seriously."

"I have no idea," I shook my head. "I understand that some people have a rat or mice problem, but this... this is ridiculous."

"Let's go." We ignored Champ as me and him carefully stepped over each bear trap, avoiding them. "Let's go outside where it's safe. Where there is no bear traps..."

"It's fine," I told him. "Just step over them and you'll be fine." For some reason, sadness fell over me as we kept avoiding the bear traps with each step. I was worried about Hannah, and so was Zach. I hope... I hope she doesn't have any bruises... I know how it feels to... Just then I heard some spitting. I turned my head and saw that Champ had walked right through an old cobweb.

"I think I swallowed some web..." he complained, getting pieces of cobweb off his suit once we made it out of the basement.

"Guys, this way. Come on, come on. Up there." Zach waved his hand for us to follow him.

"Oh..." Champ said nervously.

We made our way up the stairs. I can't believe I'm back at this psychopath's house. Zach then held out his hand when we heard a _creak _sound, stopping us. "Did you hear that?" he said, pointing at the study. "It's coming from in there," he whispered. He opened the door. "Hannah?" he called out softly. "That's weird... It's like the noise is coming from the bookcase..." He walked up to it.

"Well, it is an old house..." Champ told him, going over the bookshelf, too, with me going over to them. "Whoa. Check this out. _The Scarecrow Walks At Midnight... The Ghost Next Door... Night Of The Living Dummy_. These are all _Goosebumps_ manuscripts." He basically did the same thing that I did when I was over here hours ago, only reading different titles then the ones I read.

"What is he doing with a bunch of kids' books?" Zach looked at each one of them.

Champ gave him a small, surprise look. "These are kids' books. Okay?" he told him. "Kids books help you fall asleep. These books will keep you up _all night_." He took out one of manuscripts, reading the label. "R.L. Stine... what ever happened to that guy..."

"Uh, who knows?" Zach said. "He disappeared one day. Does that really matter?"

"I actually wanted to know who Stine is..." I drummed my fingers on the desk, my sadness now lifting off my chest.

"Let's go," he urged. Only Champ read the title of the book he was holding.

"_The Abominable Snowman Of Pasadena_. My grandma lives in Pasadena, and I stopped visiting her after reading this book."

"Okay. We're not here for book club." Zach took the book out Champ's hand, going to put back, when he took it out of his hand.

"I know, but... why are these books locked?" he wondered.

"Forget about it. Just put the book back," I said.

"But I want to know why they're lock," he protested. "I mean... who would lock a book? Maybe there's like... a key or something we can unlock it with."

Both me and Zach were getting annoyed, and we both saw a key on the desk under clear glass object, that has a thin, black string attached to it. Zach took the key in his fingers. "Okay, if it really matters that much, look at this." He put the key into the clasps, turned it, and they came apart. "Alright? Mystery solved. Now let's go back to why..."

"Look out!" I cried. All three of hit the floor, avoiding the bat that almost hit our heads from a figure that came into the room. Then the lights switched on, revealing to be Hannah, the bat in her hands. She wasn't shocked to see me since we already met. But is surprised to see Zach and Champ, as I got up off the floor.

"Zach?" she questioned.

"Hey, Hannah..." Zach spoke awkwardly, getting up off the floor, too, Champ doing the same thing.

"What are you doing in my house?" Hannah asked.

"I thought you were...chained up... possibly..." he answered.

"And maybe... beat up," I added.

Hannah gave us a confused look on her face, as if we were crazy. "Why did you two think that?"

"Because we heard you scream, and then I called the..." He trailed off. "...police."

"Okay, the three of you need to go right now," she said, pointing out of the room.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "I was here when I did those chores that Shivers offered me."

"That doesn't matter, all three of you need to go. My dad will be home any minute now," she replied, still holding the bat in her hand. I scanned her. No markings... So why did she scream bloody murder like that?

"Yeah... we should get home before he comes back."

Zach agreed with me. "Okay. Yeah."

We both went to leave when Champ held up his hand. "Wait. One... one second." We stopped and Champ smiled at Hannah. "Hi. Hi, I'm Champ. Nice to meet you," he greeted. "Hey, we're going to semi formal dance together," Champ told her, gesturing at Zach, who rolled his eyes. "And you know, you should come and invite a friend..." He paused. "I really don't care what she looks like."

"Did you unlock a book?" Hannah then asked.

"Yeah. I did. I'm sorry," Zach admitted. "It's around here somewhere. I just dropped it. And I'll put it back where it belongs, and we'll be out of your hair..." He looked around a bit, finding the book in front of him. "Here it is..." He went to pick it up the book, grabbing the front cover of the manuscript.

"No! Don't open it!" she shouted. But it was too late. The book flew out of his hand, landing in the middle of the floor. "No!" She went to grab it, and a burst of strong wind knocked us to the ground. I watched as I saw ink create a tornado, the lights flickering in the room. The ink began to form into something. Something huge. A roar came, revealing an Abominable Snowman... The Abominable Snowman?! Its head pressed against the ceiling, making cracks on the plaster above it.

The wind died down and the lights stopped flickering. The Abominable Snowman had his hands on the broken ceiling, then putting them down, going over to one of the lights that was hanging on the ceiling in front of it. It tapped it, making it swing forward then back, hitting it on the nose, making the white, furry creature flinch. It then turned to see a deer head mounted on the wall, going over to, and examined it, being very curious. As he was doing that, I looked at the other three. Hannah sat there calmly, Zach was beyond shock like I was, and for Champ, he had a horrified look on his face, backing away.

Zach's eyes switched to Hannah. "What's going on?" he barely whispered.

"Yeah, what's going on?" I whispered softly, too, pointing at the Abominable Snowman, almost mouthing the words.

"Nobody make a sound," she warned in a hushed voice.

Suddenly, there was a loud smash. All three of us turned and saw that Champ knocked over a lamp. The creature also saw him, and not able to hold it in, Champ let out a terrifying scream. The Abominable Snowman roared angrily, hitting the light with full force, having it detached from the ceiling. It sailed towards the bookcase, knocking the books down. I saw it charge at Champ, still roaring.

"Get out of the way!" I yelled at the awkward teen. He kept on screaming. Zach immediately got off the floor, tackling Champ to the ground. The thing burst out the window, and we heard it roaring from outside.

"My dad's gonna kill me..." Grabbing the book, Hannah got out of the room, with us following her.

"Wait!" Champ began calling out. "Zach! Hazel! Wait! Wait!" he hollered from behind us, as we made our way out of the house.

However, before we even ran out of the study and out of the house, I thought I heard _click_ sound...

* * *

"Hannah. Hannah, wait." Zach stopped her by grabbing her arm who jerked it free.

"Go home, you three," she exclaimed. "You're all in over your heads."

"You mind telling us what's going on?" he asked, after experiencing what had happened in the study room.

"No, I can't explain it, I have to go." Hannah ran off with the book in her hand. Zach went after her, only Champ tried to hold him back.

"Zach. Wait. Wait." He tried to plant his feet on the pavement, and tried to slow him down. "Come on. Listen. Stop. Stop. Stop."

"Dude, what are you doing?" He continued walking, Champ's feet sliding on the road, who was now not standing up straight. "Dude. Dude, get off me." He managed to get free from Champ's grip.

"Listen to me very carefully, dude," he said. "That's _The_ _Abominable Snowman Of_ _Pasadena_," he explained, fear in his voice. "You don't get that nickname by accident... And it just crawled out of a book. That just doesn't happen, Zach!"

"I'm going after Hannah," Zach protested. He chased after her, leaving us behind.

I started to walk, paused, and turned to Champ. "Are you coming...?" I asked.

"Hazel, I read what it did to Pasadena..." he whimpered, sweating a bit. "It's no joke, man."

"...yeah..." Like before, a wave of sadness came of me, my depression coming up again. Champ seemed to noticed.

"How come you look... sad...?"

I sighed. "I used to smile... but... I don't want to talk about it. And before you ask, I don't have any real parents..." I sighed again. "At least... Not anymore..."

"Do you...?" he started to ask, and I nodded.

"Yes, but... I don't want to talk about it. I even told Zach that I'll tell my story someday... Only when I'm ready. Now come." I began walking, then stopped. "We should get to Hannah. You just... run up ahead."

"...Alright," he nodded, concerned about me. I made a shooing motion with my hand, telling him that I'll be there. And once he was out of my sight, I went back to walking, my head hanging down.

Why can't I smile anymore...? I mean, I used to do it all the time, but... ever since... My depression switched to anger. I was so angry that I went over to the fence, punching it. I grunted in pain. Then I made my way to the place that I believe where the Abominable Snowman will be at.

The ice rink...

* * *

My footsteps echoed into the building when I arrived. My sadness and anger faded away, just as I found Zach and Champ standing out on the other side of the ice rink. "What is she gonna do, read it a story?" Champ asked. Zach stepped into the rink with Champ by his side. I felt like I should go there as well, but I just stood at the entrance way, a voice talking into my head.

_Why are you with these people? You don't even HAVE friends. They're just going to be using you._

But... what if they're not? They seemed...

_Friendly? Ha! Don't waste your breath, kid. You know what happens when you hang out with people. Nobody wants to be your friend._

I'm going to find out myself. And if they are just pretending... I don't know what to do with my life.

_We'll see about_ _that..._ The voice hissed. I took a deep breath, letting out with a _whoosh_, making my way over to them, and Zach was next to Hannah, while me and Champ are on the other side of her.

Zach looked behind him, before saying something. "Hannah?" he said. "What is happening? How did that _thing _just popped out of a book?"

"Shh!" she shushed him. "It's in here..." She kept the book in front of her, waiting for it. That's when Champ had an idea.

"Hey, we should get a gun," he suggested.

"Are you kidding? A gun...?" I rolled my eyes. "Great plan, Champ," I spoke in a sarcastic manner. "A gun will be great... Only the problem is... where are we going to find any guns?" I asked.

"Yeah," Zach replied. "We need a tank."

"Wait... He's made out of snow..." Champ realized. Wow... when did you figure _that _out? He's a white, hairy ape that is the size of... something.

"So... what are you guys going to use to kill it?" I crossed my arms. "That thing is like... five hundred feet tall."

They both answered what things they're gonna use to kill it at the same time.

"Flamethrower."

"Bag of salt."

I scoffed a bit. "Flamethrower."

"Let's just use a bag of salt on that thing..."

"Quiet, " Hannah made Champ shut up. "He can't be killed." Can't be killed? Then something clattered on the icy floor. Zach went over it as we did the same. All three of kneeled down. It was a red skittle... Zach picked it up.

"It's candy..." he observed. Another candy fell in front of us, then more. We slowly looked up and saw vending machine coming down our way. "Look out!" he cried out. We all jumped back, landing harshly on the floor. The Abominable Snowman came into view when it landed on the vending machine. We all watched as he took out a... candy bar? It unwrapped the candy bar, putting the candy, which is chocolate, into its mouth. It had a happy smile on its face.

"It likes sweets...?" I said, watching that thing take out another candy bar, opening it, then ate the other one. I guess it likes both trail mix and candy.

Not wasting anytime, we picked ourselves up. "Come on, it's distracted." Zach looked down at Hannah, who began to stand up slowly. "Hannah, come on, let's go." He and Champ grabbed her arms, getting her off the floor.

"No, what are you doing?" She found herself being dragged away, her feet sliding, as Zach and Champ kept holding onto each of her arms, the book in her hand. "Get off. No. Stop it!" she demanded, struggling to get free as they led her to entrance. "No, you don't understand... The only way to stop them is to suck them back into the book," she tried to tell them. Suck them into the book...? Is that why it can't be killed? "Let go. I need to get it back inside the book."

"Just drop the book and let it suck itself in," Champ quickly said, wanting to get away from the creature as possible.

"No, I'm not close enough." Breaking free, she held the book in front of her again, the clasps clicking open. The Abominable Snowman heard the sound as it stared at Hannah. Slowly, he got off the vending machine, stomping towards her.

"What are doing? Open the book," Champ began to panic.

"Just wait..." Hannah kept her stance. It came closer and closer, faster and faster.

"Hannah, open the book." Zach also started panicking.

"Not yet..." She didn't open the book, and that thing got even more closer.

"Hannah!" they both screamed.

"Now!" she cried, opening book. "Ahh!" But before she could open it all the way, the creature smacked it out of her hands, as Champ pulled her out of the way, while Zach went to the opposite direction, all three of them landing on the floor, as I quickly backed away, almost falling down. "The book..." She got up from the floor.

"Hannah, what are you doing?" She ignored me, running to get the book.

"Hannah!" Zach got up off the floor, going after her. He then stopped, seeing Hannah getting closer to the book. "Huh?" A look of fear came to him when the Abominable Snowman went after her. "No..."

Roaring, the Abominable Snowman stopped, raised its fist, bringing it down, cracking the ice, causing Hannah to fall and scream, sliding on her stomach, reaching for the book. "No!" She missed, grabbing nothing but air. She rolled onto her back and sat up by the time she stopped sliding. "Don't let it get the book!" she shrieked.

Looking around, I spotted some hockey sticks leaning against the wall. I ran over to them, grabbing one into my hand. The creature saw me, seeing the hockey stick in my hand. Like it knew what I was going to do, it made its way to the book, and I tossed the hockey stick. The hockey stick slid on the floor, hitting the book. The Abominable Snowman slipped, sliding into the net. I saw Zach going over to Hannah.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah..." she answered.

"Guys! Come on! Let's go!" I looked to see Champ, who was on the Zamboni, waving his hand. "Come on! Come on! Over here! Come on, " he shouted as both Zach and Hannah ran towards the vehicle.

"Good idea!" Zach looked behind him, seeing the furry thing getting up. "Punch it!" Champ started the vehicle, only... it wasn't very fast, going one mile per hour. "Bad idea. Bad idea. Get off that thing!" With a yell, Champ jumped out of the Zamboni, just as the Abominable Snowman hopped on it, making it shake. It looked around, searching for them.

The Abominable Snowman then peered its head over the vehicle.

"Ahh!" I heard Hannah yelp from the other side of the Zamboni.

"Run!" I heard Zach yell.

With a roar, it punched the vehicle, and I bet it left a dent on that thing, even though I was on the other side of the ice rink where the hockey sticks are at. I saw Zach and Hannah getting away from it. "Hurry, this way." They ran towards Champ, who was over on the other side of the rink. "Guys, come on. In here!" They both slid out of the rink, Champ slamming the glass door shut, and it face planted on the glass, falling onto the floor.

They cheered. "Yes." Hannah gave Champ a high five, smiles on their faces. Only they didn't celebrate for that long as the creature woke up.

"Whoa!" Zach gasped. I saw it swung its arm down at them as they avoid him, screaming. It shook the glass, roaring.

"Hey!" I threw a hockey puck, hitting it on the back. "Leave my... friends alone!" I cried out, forcing the word 'friends' out of my mouth. It turned to me. "That's right..." I motioned my hand. "Come this way, you furry devil," I muttered. It came closer, stomping, making the floor shake. While it was going towards me, I spotted the book. I ran after it, grabbed it, holding it in front of me. "You're going back in." I went to open the book, but it smacked it out of my hands. I watched as it slid from the opposite direction. I went after the manuscript, only to be picked up by the back of my neck. "Put me down, you freak!" I struggled to get free. The creature roared in my face, spitting on me. And, before I knew it, it threw me back, and I hit the back of my head on the wall. Hard.

Rubbing my head, I heard screaming from my friends. I couldn't believe I said that word. Getting up from the floor, I heard glass smashing, Zach, Hannah, and Champ all screaming in horror.

Looking around, I spotted the manuscript. I ran towards it, grabbed it, and went after the monster. I stopped at a good distance. I opened the book, and a strong current of wind came, lights flashing. The Abominable Snowman began turning back into ink. It tried to hold onto the wall, but the wind was too strong. It struggled, not wanting to be sucked into the book. But I held my ground and, once it let out a final roar, I slammed the book shut, gasping.

"Ahem." I turned and saw Shivers. He had his hand out, and from what I can tell, he wanted me to give him the book. Even though I was still angry with him for lying to the cops. And even though Hannah has no bruises or markings, that doesn't mean he had to lie to them, even though they were stupid. However, I gave him the book, looking down at the floor. "Thank you." He took a key out of his pocket, the manuscript key, putting it in the clasps, locking the book up. He then put the key back in his pocket after he did so. He then looked at my friends. Man, I still can't believe I said that. But... I still think they were pretending. I had it happen before...

Shivers walked over to them. "All of you in the car, _now!_" he yelled, pointing out of the ice rink. Zach, Hannah, and Champ followed him, wiping the bits of glass out of their hair. Shivers was about to walk with them when he paused. He turned, going over to me. "Come, Hazel," he ordered gently, not shouting at me, a smile on his face... a proud smile. Except... I didn't smile back. In fact, I was... afraid of him. Even though he didn't yell at me like he did to them.

I sighed. "...okay..." I obeyed. I followed him to the car.

_So you think that those three kids are your friends? _the voice asked.

Shut up... and leave me alone...

The voice laughed. _Why? _it questioned. _Nobody wanted to be your friend, so why did you say that word at that creature? Hmm? Why?_

Because I did.

_Because you did_, the voice scoffed. _Think about it kid... no one is your friend. Nobody is your friend. You know that you are worthless to everybody._

I know, and you're right. I am... worthless. But... what if they are my friends?

_Why would they be your friends? You have no friends..._

Please, leave me alone...

The voice laughed. _No one is your friend..._ was the last thing it said as I followed Shivers to the car.


	3. Chapter 3: RL Stine

**Chapter 3: R.L. Stine**

* * *

All of us got to the car. And Shivers gave each of them an angry look towards them except for me. "In," he ordered them. "Now." All of them got in the car; Zach and Champ in the back, while Hannah got in the passenger seat, putting on their seatbelts. Shivers then turned to me, his angry eyes turning into calm ones. I wanted to hesitate and refused at first, but... since he didn't yell at others, I did so, getting in the back, sitting next to Champ, who scooted over to the middle of the back seat. I shut the door and, making sure it was shut tight, I rested the side of my head on my hand, thinking... Just...thinking.

My mind went back to my childhood as I heard Hannah's dad get in the car, igniting it, starting the engine after he set the book between him and Hannah. The memories of my childhood seem to flood in, and I had to use my hand to cover my eyes, as my other one twitched and shook. No one seemed to notice, though... But it quickly went away. Just like that. This happens every time when my mind goes back to my childhood. And it's even worse when someone ask me to tell them my story, and that's the reason I'll tell it someday. If I do... I sighed quietly for no can hear. A tear started to force its way out of the corner of my eye. I quickly blinked it away, not wanting to start crying, my depression coming.

I'll never be happy again... Never. I'm going to be... worthless. I'm worthless because, well, I am. However, my depression faded away, like it always does. I held no smile, just... a frown on my face. I kept gazing out the window as we passed buildings and houses, until Champ broke the silence.

"What are you going to do to us?" he asked with a nervous tone in his voice.

"Silence..." Shivers hissed back as he continued driving, eyes locked on the road.

"We can't ask questions...?" he said, looking over at Zach then me. "I just wanted to know what will hap-"

"Shut up!" Shivers yelled out, getting the teen to stop talking, glancing away from the road for a quick moment, then faced it again, gripping tightly on the wheel.

"Dad... they were only trying to help," Hannah said, looking towards her father.

"I told you to _stay_ away from us or something bad will happen," he began, looking towards us, mainly at Zach. "But that's the problem with kids today," he complained, putting his hand up and then back on the steering wheel. "They don't listen." He sighed with a small shake of his head. "You had to pick _The Abominable Snowman Of Pasadena_," he said, like he knew about the books. "You couldn't have picked _Little Shop Of Hamsters_..."

Zach tilted his head to the side. "You're him, aren't you?" he said, raising a brow.

"Hm?" Shivers glanced at the rearview mirror.

"You're R.L. Stine," Zach smirked a sly grin. "The writer of all the _Goosebumps _books." Wait... Shivers is R.L. Stine? That can't be. I asked him who Stine could be, only for him to kind of shoo me out of his home, not answering my question. But... I let that go for now.

"R.L. who?" Shivers adjusted his glasses. "I don't know who that is..." he replied, not wanting to reveal by pretending not knowing who the writer is, like himself.

"Oh, really?" Zach quipped, crossing his arms, the smirk disappearing from his face. "Well, just as well, because his books suck," he offended a little, leaning against the seat. Hannah turned to him.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't decide... which I hate more," Zach started to interrogate him, ignoring Hannah. "_Monster Blood_ or _Go Eat Worms!_"

"I'm so confused..." Champ let out as I just sat there.

"You see the endings coming from a mile away..." he continued, moving his hand around in a schematic manner as he kept on going. "...it's like... stop trying to be _Stephen King_, man." That's when Shivers slammed on the breaks, stopping the car, as all of us flung forward then back. He set the car, putting the shift on break, casting a glare at the boy.

"Let me tell you something about _Steve King_," he pointed out, squinting through his glasses. "Steve King _wishes _he could write like me, and I've sold _way _more books then him but _nobody ever talks about THAT!_" he declared, his eyes going wide.

Zach, now starting to regret what he had said, leaned away from him. "Okay." He nodded, getting what he meant.

"_Way more books!_" Shivers repeated, before turning away, letting out an aggravated grunt.

"Dad..." Hannah rubbed his shoulder soothingly. "...your face is doing the red thing again."

Champ then grinned. "Wait, you're R.L. Stine?" He began to get excited, the grin getting wider, as Shivers, who is known as Stine, gave the other boy raised eyebrows, while Hannah had her hand on the side of her head, shaking it a bit. "That's you?" His excitement grew. "Really?" Stine then looked away from him, also putting his hand on the side of his head. "Really?" He looked at Zach then me, acting like a four year old who wanted to see someone for a long time. "Hey, can I take a quick picture?" he asked, getting his phone out of his pocket.

"No. No," Stine simply answered.

"Come on." Champ set the phone on camera mode. "Come on. The answer is 'yes'." He brought the phone in front of him and Stine as he smiled.

"I said no..." The light of his phone flashed, taking a picture. "What? I- No!" Stine waved him back. "Get that thing out of here!" he cried as Champ slowly took the phone away from the writer. "I said no. Why can't you get that?" he scolded, giving the now cowering teen an angry look. "I didn't want to have selfie with you!"

"Sorry..." Champ began to apologize, feeling bad for what he did. "I just want a photo for my Instagram page," he explained, going to put his phone away.

"Oh, is that all?" His mood quickly changed into a relaxed one. "Let me see." He held his hand out behind him. Champ put on a smile.

"Yeah, here you go." He gave his phone to Stine.

"Thank you." Stine then threw the phone out the window with grunt. I saw it land on the road next to us with Champ smiling behind Stine, who had a frustrated look, his mouth wide open as well as his eyes.

Stine then started the car, driving away. Champ looked back, hurt, knowing that he won't get his phone back as he crossed his arms, almost in tears.

"He did tell you no," I said to him, the picture still in my mind. That one picture with him being... happy.

* * *

By the time we got to Stine's house, he pulled up onto the driveway, parking the car. We all got out of the car, slamming the doors shut. Zach closed door on Champ, who opened it again, getting out as well before closing it.

"Hey, hey." Zach went up to him. "What happens now?" he asked.

"You go home, put on your p.j.'s, get your blankie, and go nap-nap," Stine responded in slight, baby talk voice as he made the sign for sleep, then went back to his regular voice. "In the morning, this will all feel like a bad dream," he said, then started walking towards the house.

"Dad, wait," Hannah started to protest.

"There's no time, start packing, we're moving again," he told her, making his way inside the house, his daughter right behind him.

The three of us stood there, until Champ spoke up. "So... what do you want to do now?" Ignoring him, Zach went towards the house. "Zach," he said. "Dude." He went with Zach. I was about to go with them when I stopped all of a sudden. Slowly, I lifted my hand, my right hand, and saw it shake. No...not again... It kept on shaking, getting more violent than ever. A wave of anxiety came to me, my pulse getting higher. But... why? Why do I feel so anxious all of a sudden? The violent shaking turned more aggressive from my hand to my arm. I leaned against the fence, waiting for it to stop.

Once it did, I let out a relieved breath, calming myself down.

Why did that happen? I wish I knew. It only twitches or shakes when I'm only nervous or thinking back from my childhood, but... now, it's getting worse. It's like... I sensed someone, or _something_, in the house, like, in the study room.

When I was finally relaxed, I headed into the house.

* * *

A loud _thud_ sound came from the living room when I entered the house. I made my way towards the living room entrance to see Zach and Champ there, standing by the doorway.

"I could've killed you!" Stine let out. Both boys gave out false compliments.

"That was a terrible throw."

"How?"

"What are you doing here? Go home," he ordered, turning away from the boys.

"No," Zach refused, walking into the room with his friend by his side. "Not until you explain what is going on."

Stine shook his head. "No, no, no. I can't explain it."

"We were almost just eaten by Frosty the Snowman, which should be impossible if Hazel hadn't sucked it back in the book to save us, so try!" Zach demanded, and I was surprised when he said the word 'saved' when he was talking about me.

"Okay," Stine gave in. "Look..." He pinched his nose. "Where do I begin...?" He then started tell his story. "When I was younger, I suffered from terrible allergies that kept me indoors. And all the kids threw rocks at my windows and called me names..." I blinked. He was... picked on? For not being able to go outside? "...So I made my own friends: Monsters, ghouls, demons to terrorize the neighbors and all of the kids who made fun of me," he expressed out. "...And they became real to me..." He squinted his eyes through his glasses again. "And then one day, they actually... became... real... My monsters literally jumped off the page..." He motioned his hand as if he remembered how it happened. Stine then held the book in his hands. "As long as the books remain locked, we're safe, but when they're opened..." He shook his head. "...well, you've just seen what happened," he referred to what happened earlier.

It was silence for a moment. "I'm allergic to dust mites," Champ suddenly brought up.

"What's your point?" Stine replied.

"I have allergies, too, so... I feel your pain," he said, being very sympathetic.

Stine squinted his eyes for the third time that night when Hannah came into the room. "Why am I talking to you? Hannah, let's go," he commanded, going up the stairs. She was about to say something to us when he shouted for her. "Hannah!"

"I'm sorry..." she said, going up the steps.

"Let's go," her father ordered slightly as we followed her up the steps. Only I stopped again, feeling my arm jerk forcefully, sensing something up there. I closed my eyes, clenching them tight, gritting my teeth tightly. Something's in that room up there... Something... evil.

I kept on clashing my teeth together. The jerking seemed to take longer then before. I cracked open one eye, watching my arm as it did a final jerk, doing a quick twitch once it finished. My anxious feeling went away, and so did my anxiety. I then proceeded up the steps.

"Hannah, you grab A to M," I heard Stine instruct his daughter, making my way behind the boys. "I'll get M to Z. And keep the man-eating plant away from the bug-eyed alien..." His voice trailed off. "Oh, no... not him..."

"Hello, papa..." It was a creepy raspy voice. Zach, Champ, and I entered the study room. I almost gasped to what I was sensing. It was a ventriloquist dummy, sitting on a leather chair that was next to Stine's desk. It wore a gray tux with a red bow tie and a red, ruffled flower. His shoes are brown, matching its eyes and hair. Its hair is painted on its head, looking like Stine's hair. He didn't have a shirt, but its chest was painted white. It even had chip marks on its nose and chin. "How long has it been...?" it asked in a creepy, frightening voice. My arm started shaking... No... It then saw us. "Who are your new friends?" It raised its brows in interest.

"We're not friends."

"Barely know him."

I leaned against the wall with my back when Zach and Champ responded to its words. The wooden puppet's eyes gazed at me. It kept looking at me... mocking me... giving me its eerier smile...

"Slappy, it's so nice to see you again..." Stine made his way towards it. Well, I should say him, since the puppet has a name. "We haven't seen each other in a long time..." He inched his way closer. And my arm kept on shaking.

"Did you miss me?" Slappy grinned.

"Of course I missed you..." He reached down to grab him when the lights flickered off, along with lightning from outside. When they came back on, he was gone; vanished. Hannah let out a gasp, and Stine looked around frantically.

"So what's the plan, friend?" We all saw Slappy standing by the large hole that the Abominable Snowman made. He held up a key by the string that he somehow got, holding it between his wooden fingers. "You must've brought me out for something fun," he said, putting the key down. "Terrorize the locals? Destroy the down? Let's get silly," he declared, moving his head around.

"You guessed it, Slappy..." Stine looked down, spotting the book in front of him, which I believed it's Slappy's manuscript, as he made his way towards it. "I was going to destroy Madison and I..." His eyes flickered up, then to the book. "...And I couldn't do it without you," he kept on stalling, distracting the puppet.

As if the air was getting sucked out of the room, I began having trouble breathing; hyperventilating. I shut my eyes tight, sliding down towards the floor, sitting down, as my arm continued to shake and jerk and twitch. When will it stop...?

"Aw shucks..." Slappy bashfully replied. "You've given me... oh, what's the word?" he thought. "Goosebumps." He laughed at his own joke.

"Oh, my God. He's so creepy," Champ whispered. You got that right...

"Oh, he's such a crack-up." I opened my eyes, making quick gasping breaths, seeing Stine getting closer to the book. "Such a clever dummy..." He reached down towards the book.

Slappy's eyebrows quickly went down. "Who are you calling dummy? Dummy." He then looked down and saw Stine about to reach his book, and gave him an angry look. "_You're trying to put me back in?!_" he snared out, glaring at him.

Stine stopped, giving Slappy a sheepish smile. "No, no, no, no, no, no," he quickly answered, raising his hand. "Don't be silly."

"I know when you're lying to me, papa," the puppet exclaimed. Stine went to reach for the book, and lightning flashed again, flickering the lights, and book that was laying on the floor was now in Slappy's hand, a match in the other, fire dancing around on it. "You've made Slappy _very _unhappy..." he rasped. "He's not going back on the shelf... ever... again..." He brought the lit match towards the manuscript.

"Slappy, no wait!" But it was too late. Slappy set the book on fire, ignoring Stine's protest, tossing it aside.

"I think it's time that _I_ started pulling the strings in this relationship..." He waved the match for the fire to go out. "Tonight is gonna be the _best_ story you've ever written..." he sneered. "_All_ of your children are coming out to play..." Lightning flashed as Slappy's laugh echoed away, and I stopped shaking, regaining my normal breathing, and began to stand up. Good thing no one saw that... I don't want to freak them out or anything. And I believe it's best for them _not _to know.

"Oh, thank God, he's gone," Champ relieved, raising his head slightly, looking at the ceiling, then back down at the floor.

"Oh God. He's gone..." Stine turned around, seeing the broken bookcase, before going back over to us. "And he's taken all the books."

My eyes slowly went over the bookcase. He was right... The books are gone...

And so is Slappy.

* * *

Stine immediately ran out of the room with us close behind. And I could still hear Slappy's laugh... his creepy laugh in my head, and I quickly shook it away as we ran down the steps, us following Stine. "Congratulations. You've just released a demon. A ventriloquist dummy with a serious Napoleonic complex," he announced sarcastically, continuing his way down the steps.

"For the record, I only opened one book, and now I see that was a mistake," Zach countered back once we got to the door.

"The snowman must've knock Slappy's book down," Hannah theorized, defending her friend that she likes.

"I still blame him." Stine pointed at Zach. "I don't like you boy." He kept pointing at him while I tried to get the door open, but it wouldn't.

"I can't get the door open." I jiggled the knob.

"Let me see." I stepped out of the way so Stine can get the door open, but no, it wouldn't. "It's locked from the outside," he told us. Then we heard something knock down to the floor, bringing our attention to it. "Out the kitchen door. Go now," he urged, waving his hands forward. We ran to the kitchen, and stopped to see something on the other side of the doggy door. Some sort of small figure.

"Why is that here?" Champ whispered to me.

"I don't know..." I answered. Another one popped out in some kind of jar, making Champ flinch as it cracked its neck. Hannah and Stine let out a yelp when they saw another one in one of the cabinets. Then the dishwasher opened revealing thee more; one holding a shovel, the other holding a pickaxe, while the other doesn't have anything. They jerked their heads towards us. The one from the doggy door swung into the kitchen with its pickaxe. Then more, then more, then more, all coming out of the top and bottom cabinets. A lot of them were on the floor, some were on the counters, and four of the figures were holding a silver ladle, and a lot of them either had a shovel or a pick axe, while the others had nothing. A few were holding lamps.

"Gnomes?" I questioned, seeing what they are now.

Zach raised a brow, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe they're friendly..." Suddenly, a knife was thrown, embedding into the cabinet, inches away from Zach's head, who turned to glance at the knife, stunned. "Not friendly." He turned to us. "Definitely not friendly," he declared. And all the gnomes charged at us. Some gnomes from the top cabinets used some rags that are tied together, pulling it up onto Zach's throat. One got on the ladle, while the other jumped on it. The gnome connected its pick axe to the other gnome's pickaxe, and swung forward.

"Ooh." Stine grunted when the gnome landed on his face, hitting him with its pickaxe. "He's stuck to my face," he muffled, trying to pull it off his face. "Definitely not friendly."

"Dad!" Hannah went over to help him. "Ah!" But a gnome was on her head, pulling on her ponytail, yanking her back.

"Don't worry, I'll save you." Champ went over to the stove, grabbed the frying pan and, with a yell, he pried the gnome off of Stine's face by hitting it, making it break into millions of pieces, and Stine fell face first onto the floor. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?" he asked. Zach yanked down the tied up rags, throwing the gnomes down on the floor, smashing them into pieces. I grabbed a gnome that started to pinch me, flinching at the feeling of being touched. Quickly, I dropped kicked it towards Champ, who caught it in his hands. It squirmed around, and Champ went over to the sink, forcing the gnome upside down into the drain, switching the garbage disposal, grinding up the little bastard.

"Ready." I looked down to see some gnomes tying Stine's first wrist, then the other one, with electric cords. "Set." They tied his ankles together. "Go." They got him up all hogtied. My attention then switched when I heard a smash on a wall, and Hannah ducked her head, avoiding the gnome that Zach had thrown. She gave him a stunned look, her mouth agape.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Help me." My attention flickered back towards Stine. My mouth dropped open when I saw the gnomes pulling him towards the oven that they had opened, flames dancing around inside from the high temperature. "Help me." Stine then looked over his shoulder, seeing where he was heading to. "Oh, no, no, no. Help. Someone."

I spotted a mop against the wall, grabbing it in my hands. "Get back. Get back." I waved Hannah, Zach, and Champ out of the way. "Get back!" I yelled. I swung the mop, hitting the gnomes off of Stine, who tried to put the fire out by blowing at it, but with no use.

"Heave-ho. Heave-ho. Heave-ho," they kept on chanting as I continued to smash them. I dropped the mop when I smashed up most of the gnomes.

"Help me. Help me. Get them off," I said, gesturing my hand for them to help me.

"Okay, okay." Hannah began grabbing gnomes, helping me, while the boys did the same, throwing them into the oven.

"Heave-ho. Heave-ho," the gnomes continued to chant as we kept throwing them into the oven.

"Quickly," Stine declared, and I threw the last gnome into the oven.

"Shut it. Shut it," Hannah exclaimed, and we quickly shut the oven door on them, their fists hitting the door on the other side.

"Heave-ho. Heave-ho..." They melted inside the oven.

"Untie me," Stine said.

"You know, I imagined something different..." Champ started to complain as we began to untie Stine, getting him free. "...'Come over to my house. They will be girls. I'm your wingman'." Once Stine was free, we slowly stood up as the gnomes... put themselves together. "Oh, no, no, no..." Champ slightly wailed as the gnomes kept putting themselves back together.

"We got to get out of here," Zach said. "We need to get the basement."

"It's locked," Stine told him.

"He picked it," I quickly explained, and we all started running to the basement.

"That's breaking and entering," he hollered behind us as we proceeded down the stairs, the gnomes chasing us. "Watch out for the bear traps."

"Why'd it have to be bear traps?" Champ declared as we avoided them, hearing them snap shut on the gnomes.

"And another thing," I added over my shoulder, "why do you have bear traps in your basement?"

"I was preparing something like this," Stine answered. Prepared for what? A robbery?

"Alright, come on." Zach waved his hand, ushering us out of the basement, the gnomes at our heels. "Hurry." We made it out of the basement, and Stine slammed the door shut, as the gnomes tried to get out.

"Lock it! Lock it!" he ordered, holding onto the door.

"Okay." I locked up the door, and Stine planted his back on the door, panting.

"Why couldn't of you have written stories about rainbows and unicorns?" Zach exclaimed, referring to what happened in there.

"Because that doesn't sell four hundred million copies," Stine gasped once he caught his breath.

"Whoa, domestic?" Champ replied, smiling a bit.

Stine shook his head. "No, worldwide. It's still very impressive. Shut up," he responded. That's when we saw something red falling down, flying down in front of us, and there were even more.

"What is that?" I asked. We followed the red stuff that led us to something on the ground in front of us that is all charred up and black, and it was lit on fire.

"He's burning the books..." Hannah realized once we saw what it was.

"Why is he doing that?" Zach questioned.

"So there's no way to put the monsters back inside... It's Slappy's revenge..." Stine tilted his head in thought. "_Slappy's Revenge_... that's a good title."

Are you kidding me...?


	4. Chapter 4: The Plan

**Chapter 4: The plan**

* * *

**Slappy**

* * *

I let out a gleeful laugh as I drove the Haunted Car, cars honking at me. "Hahaha! Sorry, folks, I'd slow down, but I can't reach the brake!" I declared. "Hahaha." I let out another laugh, throwing another book out the window, monster plants coming out, destroying the cell tower. "Hey, check out my new best seller," I announced, turning my head away from the road to the window of the passenger seat that had the manuscripts from the bookcase. "It'll grow on you. Muhahaha." I continued laughing, hearing people screaming in different buildings. "I'm driving myself _crazy!_" I turned the car around, thinking where I should go. "Hmm..." I thought. "I know! The police station. That'll be perfect. And if the cops are there, I'll use the Bug-Eyed Aliens to freeze them." I snickered. "Oh, Slappy, you are such a genius..." I kept on snickering, until my mind went back to that girl that had an anxiety attack when she saw me... Yes, once I freeze the cops, I'll release another monster, and have it get that girl.

"And once I have her... I'll get rid of you, papa!" I vowed, laughing my evil laugh, parking the car in front of the station, getting out, and grabbing two manuscripts. I held one under my arm, as I unlocked the first one. Two Bug-Eyed Aliens came out the book that I had unlocked, burning it. "Wait here for my signal," I instructed them. They nodded, and I entered through the doors. I got one of the chairs, putting the book and key under the seat, lying on my side, not moving, as I began eavesdropping on the cops.

"The town is invaded," I heard the male cop began to announce like a news reporter. "Communications are down. We're talking about mass chaos, and no one knows how to stop it." He paused, and from the corner of my eye, I saw him grin. "What do you think?" he asked the female cop.

"I'm not sure. I... I'm not... I don't know," the female one replied confused, not knowing what he's talking about.

"It's _The Blob_," he explained, gesturing his hands. "_The Blob_. The original one with Steve McQueen. Oh, I can't believe you don't know that movie," he said, surprised at his partner. "Come over to my house," he offered. "I got it on Laserdisc. We'll wa…" The lights went out. Perfect. "The power went out... God. All night with this." I heard him walk over to one of those lights that are on the wall, tapping on it with his finger. "These emergency lights should kick on soon." Then he spotted me. Perfect. "Someone left their ventriloquist dummy," he noticed, seeing me on the chair.

Time for action. I slowly sat up. "Who you calling _'dummy_'?" I rasped, lowering my eyebrows.

"It's talking!" the female cop exclaimed as they both pulled out their hand guns. "What is that thing?" Fear creeped out of her mouth. They pointed their guns at me.

I raised my hands. "I come in peace. Unharmed. I just wanted to read you a _bedtime _story..."

"Sir, shut your mouth," the male cop ordered.

"Okay," I spoke through my closed mouth, "because that's not gonna stop me."

"Hands where I can see them." The male cop kept pointing his gun at me.

"Officers! You've been relieved from your duties..." On cue, the Bug-Eyed Aliens came in, and the cops pointed their guns at them. "Haha. Now _freeze_!" I watched as they froze the cops with their lasers. "Thank you, now go out there, and freeze anyone that you see," I commanded, pointing out the door. They gave me a salute, before marching out the door. I grabbed the book from underneath the seat, unlocked it, and released yet another monster. In fact, two to be exact.

After I burned the book, I looked up at them. "Now..." I began. "There is a girl with hazel eyes that I saw when I was in papa's study," I told them. "Go get her, and once I have her, I'll get rid of papa."

"Yes, sir," the first one obeyed as the other one let out an insane laugh, running out of the building.

Once they had left, I got up off the chair, heading out to the car. "Now I should get the rest of the police frozen..." A smile spread on my wooden lips. "Hmm..." I began thinking. "...since I opened up _Invasion Of The Body Squeezers Part I_, I should released more Bug-Eyed Aliens from _Invasion Of The Body Squeezers Part II_ so they can freeze them. Yeah! Perfect idea." I went over to the Haunted Car, grabbing the book, unlocking it, and the Bug-Eyed Alien stood right before me as I burned their book. "Aliens, start freezing the rest of the police in this station," I ordered them. "And also, if someone comes in here and calls for help, freeze that person as well, and especially if I get called the D word. Got it?" They nodded. "Good. Now... Get to work!"

With a salute, they walked inside the station, looking for any cops to freeze. I went inside the building too, going over into one of the small offices, putting on a cop hat and sunglasses, closing the blinds, waiting for someone to come by and call for help.

No one is going to interfere with my plans.

* * *

**Lorraine**

* * *

I was on my phone leaving Zach alone in his room with Hazel helping him study for a test he has on Monday, when I heard scratching at the front door. Getting up, I went to go check it out, putting the phone on my chest. I opened the door to see a small, white poodle. "Oh, hello, cutie," I smiled, seeing how adorable she looks since she has a pink flower in the middle of her white, coiled fur. "You must be lost." I lowered myself to the dog. "Hmm," I observed, "no tags." I stood back up. "Well, let's get you some water. We'll take you around the neighborhood and we'll find your owner." I turned back around, going back on my phone. "Is he handsome?" I walked into the kitchen. "Is he single?" I grabbed a bowl that is the color of light pink out from one of the cabinets, filling it up with water, using my cheek and shoulder to hold the phone against my ear. "Is he thinking about leaving his wife and needs a push?" Afterwards, I shut the faucet off. "Hey, can you hold on a sec?" I asked, then put the phone on hold, setting it on the counter. I grabbed the bowl with both hands, heading back to the front door. "Alright..." I walked carefully. "Trying not to spill..." The water swished inside the bowl as I kept it steady. "Don't be clumsy, Lorraine," I chuckled to myself. "Oh, you must be so thirsty," I said, ready to give the water to the poodle and to see it not there anymore.

That's when I raised my head slowly when I saw its paws, seeing it float in the air, the water dumping onto the floor as I tilted the bowl forward. "Wha...?" The poodle tilted its head at me before it opened its mouth, baring long, white fangs like a vampire, letting out a terrifying growl, eyes turning red. I screamed, dropping the bowl as it broke, getting away from that... thing!

I ran into the kitchen, the monster poodle floating after me, trying to bite me. "Get away!" I shrieked at it, grabbing my phone. "Get away from me!" It began chasing me around the house. I need to call Gale, but my phone went out, and saw that I had no connection.

The poodle kept coming at me. "Go away, you cruel animal!" I ran up the steps. "Zach! Hazel!" I screamed. "Zach!" I opened his bedroom door, seeing him and his friend not there. And the poodle growled at me, baring its sharp teeth at me, before it started to attack me. I landed on the floor in the room with a loud _thud_. The poodle kept trying to bite me, fur flying everywhere. I manage to shove it off of me, before grabbing my phone again. I tried to call Zach. Still no connection, and I have no choice but to go to my store.

Running out of the house with the poodle close behind me, I opened the car door, getting into the driver's seat, slamming the door shut on the wild dog. It barked, scratching its nails on the window. Quickly, I put on my seatbelt, hit the gas pedal, and drove as fast as I can to my store.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

"Come on, in the car," Stine told us. We went over to the car, getting in. He started the car up and drove off the driveway, and drove away from the house. "I need to see how much damage that Slappy caused." When I heard Stine say the dummy's name my hand did a small twitch, sending a chill down my spine. I rested my hand on my cheek as I stared out the window. I can still hear the laughing of the dummy, remembering how he had his eyes locked on me. Those mocking eyes reminded me of...

"Are you okay, Hazel?"

"Huh?" I snapped out of my trance, shaking my head, turning towards Champ. "Yeah... Yeah." I nodded. "I'm fine. I was just thinking..."

"About what?" he inquired.

I looked away from him. "...nothing... Just...forget about it." I rested my cheek on my hand again. For now, I just want some quiet time, trying not to think of the dummy's mocking eyes, which reminded me of my childhood.

I felt him staring at me. "Okay..." He turned away from me, which is a good thing cause a tear slid down my face, and I quickly flicked it off of me. I don't want to start getting upset in front of anyone.

_You know. If you think that these people are your friends... which they aren't... you can just, oh, I don't know, run away once he stops the car_, the voice began speaking.

Why? How do you know if they are pretending?

_Because I DO know! Don't you remember when you were younger?_ it demanded.

I didn't answer it.

_Do you? _the voice forced out again.

I want to be left alone...

_Hmph. Suit yourself._

When the voice vanished away, I closed my eyes, resting them, the sadness still in my head.

* * *

_I walked through the woods, entering into the abandoned amusement park. The morning sun shone down on me with no clouds in the sky, the leaves brushing against each other. I continued walking, looking at all the broken rides and empty booths, when I spotted someone._

_"Hey there." It was Hannah, and she was waving me over. I hesitated, shaking my head. "Aw... come on," she encouraged, smiling a friendly smile at me. "I'm your friend... remember?" Her smile didn't disappear from her face._

_I slowly walk up to her, my feet dragging on the dirt, slowly going up to her as she kept maintaining that nice smile._

_Once I got close enough to her, she held out her arms. "Can I have a hug?" she asked._

_I shook my head real fast._

_She pouted. "Aw... why not? I know you don't like to be touched, but maybe one hug will help you start getting used to it again." She kept her arms out at me. "Please?" she said, her eyes begging me to do so. "Just one hug. I promise."_

_Seeing her still smiling her happy smile, I slowly got closer to her. She promised one hug... just one... and said that it'll start helping me get used to physical contact again._

_I scooted closer. I shut my eyes tightly, and slowly, very slowly, I brought my arms up to her._

_And that's when I was pushed to the ground. I fell flat on my back, dirt getting into my hair. I glanced up to see her glaring at me with deadly eyes, looking down at me._

_"Ew! Why would I touch YOU?" she cried. My mouth dropped open as I can only stare at her in shock. "I'm not going to hug a worthless girl!" she screamed, eyes still glaring into mine. "Get away from me, you loser!"_

_I stayed on the floor, afraid to move an inch._

_"Don't you know English? I said, get away from me!" She kept on screaming. "Get away, you disgusting thing!"_

_"Hannah!" I looked over my right shoulder to see someone coming over to us. "Hannah! What's wrong?"_

_"That!" She pointed her finger at me. "That ugly thing tried to touch me!" she shrieked in a high, shrill voice. "Zach, it-it-it tried to touch ME!"_

_What? But you said-_

_"Were you trying to touch her?" It was now Zach's turn to give me deadly eyes of his own. "Were you?!"_

_I opened my mouth. "But... she said she wanted a hug..."_

_"Liar!" Hannah screamed. "Zach, she's lying. Don't listen to her."_

_Zach grabbed me by the hair, forcing me to my feet._

_"Ow! Let go of my hair!" I began to panic, my heart racing inside of my chest. "I'm not lying! Please, let go," I begged. "Ow!" He yanked my hair hard, almost pulling the roots out of my head, tears streaming down my face. "Let go..." I wailed._

_"Why should I?" he spat in my face. "You ARE ugly! And you ARE worthless!"_

_He then threw me back onto the ground. "This is what you get for trying to touch my girl," he snarled, raising his foot back._

_"NO!" I cried. "No! No! Don't do it!"_

_But it was too late, and I felt the force of his kick in my face._

* * *

Suddenly, I woke up, and heard voices outside the car. I sighed with relief. Just a dream... I'm not at that abandoned amusement park.

I felt tears on my face, quickly wiping them away as I got out of the car, and went over to the group. Zach noticed me when I shut the door tight.

"Hey. We weren't sure if we should wake you up or not," he said, and I kept my distance from him. "What's wrong?" he asked, furrowing his brows.

I looked down. "...nothing..." I answered, and notice people everywhere in town, not moving. "What's wrong with them?" I pointed at one of the people. "Why do they look... blue?"

"They got frozen," Hannah informed me. "And Champ thought one of the men is his dad."

"Hey!" He raised his hand in defense. "That man _looks_ like my dad, okay?" he replied.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes, then look up at her father. "What are we going to do?" she asked him.

"Without those manuscripts, there's nothing I can do..." Stine responded to Hannah's question, looking at all the smashed cars and frozen people. There were books on the road that Slappy unlocked... I shivered... and an electric pole was lying on one of the vehicles, sparks coming out of it.

"If... If you wrote the monsters off the page, maybe there's away you could write them back on," Zach brought up.

"Wait... Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Champ agreed, nodding his head. "Why don't you do that?" he suggested.

I crossed my arms. "You have any idea how many stories he has to write to capture every monster that he has ever created?" I scoffed. "I mean, there's like a million of his books that he had written."

Stine agreed with me. "She's right," he nodded. "And I already carpal tunnel in both hands."

"Dad, just listen to him. It's a great idea," Hannah insisted.

"Just one. One story to capture them all," Zach insisted as well.

"Hmm. Simple," Stine smiled sarcastically. "Just one, one story, with _every_ monster I've ever created," he voiced out as Zach rolled eyes a bit. "Brilliant. _Really_ good idea." He looked at his daughter. "He's a keeper." He pointed at Zach, and Hannah tilted her head to the side a little.

Zach gave him a slight smile. "You have a better idea?" he challenged.

"Mm-hm. Mm-hm. I much better idea..." We waited for what Stine's idea is, but he came out empty. "No, not now I don't, but..."

"Okay, then we just have to get you to a computer store so you can start writing. There..." Zach looked around. "...there's a computer store. Just break in..."

"No, no, no," he interrupted, stopping Zach. "I need _my_ typewriter," he told him.

Zach gave him a confused look. "...what?"

"Every story I've written was on that Smith Corona," Stine explained. "It's not just me. The typewriter is... special. It has a soul of its own... If I write on anything else, it won't work," he stated.

"Then where's the typewriter?" I asked.

A smile spread over Stine's face. "Oh don't worry... it's somewhere safe..."

"But... where is it at?" Zach said.

"At the high school," he answered. "I donated when I finished my final book, which makes sense since I don't want it anymore until now." He cast a glare at Zach when we all heard insane laughing.

"Sense?" a voice questioned. "Oh, what's more fun than making sense?" The laughing continued.

"Dr. Maniac, show yourself," Stine commanded, looking around.

"Up hear, Stine Boy." We all looked up to see a big man with crazy black hair, a maniacal expression, wearing a silver amour over blue and green tights, a leopard-skin cape, and tall white boots with feathers. "Did you miss me, Stine Boy?" He flew over to one of the broken down cars, landing on it. "I missed you." His eyes glowed red.

Stine tightened his fist. "If you're here, then that means Purple Rage is here too."

"Oh, yes he is..." Dr. Maniac began to fly again. "And he isn't too happy, either..."

"That's right." A figure wearing a tight, purple outfit and ridiculous boots came from behind the ice cream truck. "...I am not happy." I notice that his face is red. "When you lock someone up in a book they get _very ANGRY_!" His face turned bright purple. "And Slappy has a mission for us to do."

"Like what?" Stine replied.

Dr. Maniac laughed, pointing at me. "He wants to have her... and get rid of you, Stine Boy," he sneered, and I backed away from him, almost hiding behind the author.

"Why does he want Hazel for?" Zach asked, standing his ground.

"He didn't tell us why. Maybe just to... scare her." He let out another insane laugh.

"You're crazy," Hannah exclaimed.

"I'm not crazy. I'm a MANIAC!" the super villain declared, doing his catchphrase.

"So hand her over to us. Or else..." Purple Rage clenched his fist together, shaking it. "Slappy doesn't like waiting."

"We're not handing her over to you," Stine argued, stepping in front of me. "You guys are gonna be gone for good!"

"How are you going to stop us?" the Purple Rage challenged. "Our manuscript has been burned by Slappy."

"I am going to stop you and all the monsters," Stine vowed. "All of you are gonna be locked up for good."

"Speaking of locked up..." Dr. Maniac put his finger to his lips. "Stine Boy, tell me, what's soaking wet and clueless?" he quizzed him.

"Maniac, I just about enough-"

A splash of water came pouring down on Stine, cutting him off.

"Your face!" Dr. Maniac threw the metal bucket over Stine's head with a loud _bang_.

"Dad!" Hannah shrieked as Stine took the bucket off of his head, his hair dripping wet, casting a glare at him and then at Purple Rage.

"Slappy wants her." That name that Purple Rage mention made my arm shake violently, and the air seemed to get thinner with each breath I took that I had to sit down, crossing my legs, closing my eyes, doing my best to get rid of my anxious feeling away... doing my best not to think or picture that creepy puppet. "However... we can ask him to wait for awhile... She isn't doing so good."

I opened my eyes up to see everyone staring down at me.

"Hazel... are you okay?" Hannah asked, kneeling down next to me.

All eyes were on me, and I began to feel claustrophobic. My breathing began to get faster. "I...I..." I began stuttering, slowly getting up. My arm stopped shaking, but I can feel the panic inside me. "I..." I gasped. "I need air!" With that, I ran away from the scene, and I can hear Dr. Maniac laughing a mocking laugh... A mocking laugh.

"Hazel, come back!" Champ hollered out.

I didn't stop, I kept on going, zipping behind one of the buildings and sat down, regaining my breathing. Once it came back, I put my hands on top of my head, biting my bottom lip. The laughing... It reminds me of everything...

"Hazel...?"

I jumped, raising my head to see Stine in front of me. "Oh... Hey, Stine." I looked away.

"Are you okay...?" he asked in general concern. He seems to act differently around me then around with Zach.

"...Yeah..." I kept looking away and felt Stine sitting next to me. "I'm fine... Sorry to scare you guys..." I picked some blades of grass off the ground, letting them go between my fingers.

"That's alright... Mind if I ask you something?" He waited for my answer, and so I nodded, giving him permission. "Does Slappy... freak you out?"

"...yes," I answered softly. "It... actually happened when we were at your place," I confessed. "I started panicking in your study room..." I sighed. "I know I should've told you guys sooner but... I didn't. Let's just say I'm the type of person who doesn't like to speak up..." I plucked some more grass of the ground. "Also," I added. "Both Slappy's mocking eyes along with Dr. Maniac's mocking laugh reminded of... things..."

Stine raised a brow. "Like what?" he replied.

I shrugged my shoulders. "...I don't want to talk about it. At least... not today. It's too... traumatizing." I shuddered. "I'll tell my story only when I'm ready, but for now... I don't want to."

"Hey, you can tell me or your friends anytime you want," he assured me. "Plus, I won't let Slappy have his wooden hands on you. Me and your friends will keep you safe from that wooden gremlin."

I gave him a disbelief look. "Are they really my friends?"

"What?" Now he gave me a disbelief look. "Why would you think that they are not?"

I shrugged again. "I don't know..." I mumbled. I wanted to tell him the dream that I had in the car, but... I don't want him to think I was crazy. "Shouldn't we get to the high school?" I asked.

"Oh. Oh, sure," Stine answered quickly, nodding his head up and down, his hair still wet from the water. "I already brought the car over."

"Good." I stood up. "Let's go." I began to walk to the car with Stine right behind me. We both got in the car with the others waiting for us. I got in my seat, shutting the door, and leaned back.

"You okay?" I looked over at Zach and nodded. "That's good," he smiled. I nodded again, looking out the window, glancing at the night, cloudy sky as we drove off to the high school.


	5. Chapter 5: On The Run

**Chapter 5: On The Run**

* * *

My mind played the dream over and over, bouncing around in my head. Why did I dream that? Why...? The question stuck in my head. Why in the dream would Zach and Hannah call me such...horrible names? They would never do that unless they are my friends. But I don't believe that they are, considering what I told Stine after I had that massive panic attack, who also returned that feeling towards me.

A tear came down my cheek, and luckily nobody saw it since it's on the other side of my face which is towards the window. I...actually wanted to get away from these people. Except, I can't do that at all. I have help stop these monsters. Even that wooden dummy that wanted me... to make me panic even more. To me, Slappy is the most evil monster in all the _Goosebumps_ series, knowing what he's capable of.

I rested my head on my hand, closing my eyes. I didn't fall asleep this time in case the dream comes back. And if I told Stine about my dream... he'll just call me crazy. In fact, maybe I am crazy. No way nobody will call me cruel names, which are all lies. Lies!

Another tear. Don't cry, I ordered myself. Whatever you do not cry. Think happy things... Oh, what's the point? Nothing makes me happy anymore. All thanks to those who made it go away. I've been through so much that...there had been some days where I just wanted to...be gone, as in not being around anymore. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, think on what I just mentioned. What do people do most of the time when they think that they'll never be happy again? If you answered correctly...well...great job, because a lot of people in my shoes do it every, single year. And I might be next...

Inside the car, heading towards the high school had been pretty quiet. A couple of times, I thought I was the only one in the car, and when I opened my eyes, everyone was still there. Why can't I be at home sleeping? That's a thing I wanted to do. Plus, when we stop this monster invasion, I'll just...leave them and don't have to see them anymore.

I went to close my eyes, when Zach said something. "I'm going to call my mom and warn her about the monsters," he broke the silence, taking his phone out of his hoodie pocket. He was about to dial his mom's number when he realized something. "I don't know what's going on with my phone." He raised his phone as Champ rolled down his window since he's not in the middle of the backseat this time, getting some fresh air. "I can't get reception," Zach stated frustrated.

I looked at his phone, seeing that it has no bars. "Do you have it on data?" I asked.

"No. Why?" he replied, raising a brow at me, lowering his phone.

I held out my hand. "Give me your phone," I requested. He handed his phone to me. "If I put it on data, maybe it'll work," I told him. I went on his network settings and found the data. I turned it on, then raised it in front of me. Nope. No bars. "Sorry. Here." I handed his phone back to him. "I thought it'll work..."

"It's okay," he sighed, tucking his phone back in his pocket, knowing that his phone is now useless. "I just don't know why my phone isn't working."

"Slappy's taken down the cell-phone towers…that's what I do..." Stine spoke in a mysterious voice. "He's cutting us off... Isolating us..." That's when we heard thumping on the roof of the car, like someone is on it.

"W-What was that?" Champ stuttered. There was more thumping, until it stopped, and hand prints showed on the front window of the car.

There was also an annoying giggle and Stine groaned. "Ugh, it's the Invisible Boy, he's a menace," he griped as we heard the annoying thing crawling back onto the roof of the car.

Then there was a loud _slap_ coming from Champ's face. "Ow!" He raised his hand to where he got slapped, and I knew how it felt to get...hit. Suddenly, to our horror, Champ was being pulled halfway out of the car. "Help! Help me! Help!" Zach and Hannah quickly grabbed him, trying to keep him in the car, and as I went to help, I saw that his tie was being pulled by the invisible monster. I tried to hit it, but with no success.

"Ha-ha, ha-ha." The Boy began laughing, and it was so annoying.

"Shove him out the window. Roll up the window," Stine ordered as he continued driving.

"He's got his tie!" Zach yelled back in a frantic voice.

"Help me, he won't let go of me," Champ continued to cry out. I kept trying to hit the monster, but it wasn't easy since he's, well...invisible. "Help me!" he cried, getting more panicky. I even tried to shove the thing off of him.

The Boy laughed. "Help me, he won't let go," he mimicked, mocking the teen's voice. God, not only that he has annoying laugh, but he also has annoying voice. "Let go, let go," he mocked again, thinking this whole scenario is a joke.

"Let go of him, you obnoxious thing!" I shrieked, starting to freak out since I'm having a hard time getting him off the awkward teen. I looked over at Stine. "Step on it!" I hollered.

Stine look over at us, seeing our struggle. "Hold on." He slammed on the gas pedal and all of us flung back into our seats, hearing the Boy fly off the car.

"Ahhh!" Then we heard him land on the ground. "Not cool!" he cried out from the distance.

Stine looked over at us. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Champ said.

"For sure," Zach nodded, panting.

"Yeah... " I then noticed something up ahead. "Wait… Wait, look out!" I warned, pointing up to what I was seeing.

"Whoa!" Stine immediately saw what I was pointing at just in time, which is a light pole on the road, swerving away from it, before hitting something with the front of his car, making us flung forward then back. He looked at his daugher. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" she answered, nodding her head.

Stine looked over at us again. "Everyone okay?" We all nodded. "It came out of nowhere…" He noticed his daughter looking up, and he did the same, with us looking up slowly as well. Something began to stand up. Something huge and tall and green. Once it stood all the way up, it peered its head in the car, and all of us let out terrified screams.

"I don't remember writing about a giant praying mantis!" Stine declared, realizing what it was now. The mantis reared back and spit on the car, the saliva getting all over the front window. "Right, now I remembered. Its from _A Shocker On Shock Street_…" he recalled.

"Get us out of here!" I cried. Stine turned on the car, shifted the gear, and turned on the windshield, cleaning the spit off the front window. "What are you doing?!" I exclaimed.

"Well, I can't drive if I can't see," he argued. Good point.

However, Zach didn't want to stand around. "Just go!" he yelled, hitting Stine's seat. "Forget about cleaning off the saliva off your car and just _go!_"

Right away, Stine back the car up, turning it around and started driving away as the mantis chased us into town.

Champ's mouth dropped open as we saw the giant bug going after us. "Oh, my God!" he declared as we saw it smash into a building, making it fall apart from the impack, flipping two cars out of the way, and that's when we all started yelling at Stine as it gained towards us.

"Watch out!"

"Turn left!"

"Stop driving straight!"

"He's catching up!"

"Step on it!"

"Turn right!"

"Does someone else want to drive?" Stine hollered over the commotion, getting fed up. "Cause I'll pull over right now." He turned to the left and we all screamed when we saw the praying mantis in front of us, raising its leg, and Stine quickly avoided it as it smash the road as we quickly turned to a Supermarket.

"Oh!" Zach hit his forehead on the car ceiling as we bumped over one of the things that cars parked in front of.

Stine parked the car. "Into the store, hurry," he urged, getting out of the car with us getting out as well, going inside the store just in time to see the praying mantis walked over to the car, picking it up and ripped open the roof, and not see us there anymore.

Champ looked over at Stine. "Why'd you have to come up with something so freaky?" he asked, watching the mantis.

Stine shrugged his shoulders, raising a brow. "I just have a knack for it, I guess..." The mantis dropped his car. "Oh no. My Wagoneer," he winced, seeing his car was now destroyed. "I have such low mileage on it..."

"And I bet it was a nice car, too," I added.

"It was," he replied.

"How far are we from the high school?" Zach asked.

"Not too far," Hannah replied, walking away with Zach right next to her, and I saw Stine raised his brow again, only suspiciously this time. "We can cut right through the cemetery," she told him.

"I'm sorry, a cemetery?" he questioned, not understanding what Hannah is saying.

"God, relax. The high school's just past the woods." Just as she took another step, her father stopped her, grabbing her shoulder.

"Wait, how do you know that?" he said, getting more suspicious.

"Uh, sometimes I get a little stir-crazy and go exploring..." Hannah explained timidly towards her dad, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

"When?" he questioned further, his attitude changing wanting to know more about her secret.

"At night… after you go to bed," she confessed.

Stine pointed at her. "You're grounded."

Hannah scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That is so unfair," she complained.

"No, it's fair."

"Guys, you're bringing good points…" Zach spoke up. "But let's keep moving while you argue." He then turned and walked away with Hannah right by his side.

I looked back at Stine, who is shaking his head in disappointment. "Sneaking off in the middle of the night with strange boys."

"Unbelievable," Champ agreed.

"Shut it." Stine began walking with us right behind him, almost passing by the sodas when Champ spoke up.

"Hey, hey, do you have a dollar I could borrow?" he asked.

"What? No," Stine returned, stopping at the sodas.

"Why?" I replied.

"I'm parched."

"Well, just take one. I'm sure they'll understand," Stine told him, gesturing his hands at the different types of sodas.

"Really? Ha!" Stine rolled eyes as Champ went over to the sodas, figuring out what to pick. "Let's see…" he began. "Lemonade... grape... or strawberry...?"

"Oh, good God, man." Stine grabbed one of the sodas, not wanting to waste any time waiting for the kid to pick out a drink. "Here. Orange." He shoved the bottled drink into the teen's hand, then walked away as Champ smiled. He walked with him and I was about to do the same when the voice began talking to me again.

_Why are you still with them?_ it asked, sounding irritated. _You have NO friends, so you should just go home now._

Why? I narrowed my eyebrows, staring down at the floor.

_Because I said so. Do you remember what happened during your childhood? When those brats pretended to be your friends?_

Yeah… And also, I thought about leaving them after the monster invasion in this town.

_Well, get away from those fools, right now. Besides, your worthless and you're nothing,_ the voice insulted, getting angry. _Just go home and never come back to them, since they're only PRETENDING to be your stupid friends, you fool._

Fine… I'll go.

_Good, cause Slappy would have you in his wooden hands._

Gee, thanks for reminding me. I then went down the aisle.

_What are you doing?_ the voice exclaimed.

Ignoring it, I caught up with Stine and Champ, hearing Zach talking to Hannah. "I don't know what I was thinking. There is more going on then in New York." He noticed her looking at him, but not into his eyes. "What?" he asked and they both stopped.

"Uh, you cut yourself," she answered.

He looked worried when she mentioned his injury. "Is it bad?"

"Uh, yeah." She kept on looking at him, licking her thumb. "It's really bad..."

He pointed at himself. "Is my face messed up?" Why would he asked that?

"Yeah. Big time." She smirked at him, cleaning his cut. "You look exactly the same," she said smiling up at Zach, who also returned the same feeling. I wanted to feel that way, too, but I can't. I can't smile anymore.

Then we heard something, and Zach and Hannah walked over to the source of the noise with the rest of us coming up to them. Once we got to where they were, Zach held out his hand as if to stop us.

Peering around the corner, all of us saw a wolf. No, a _werewolf_ over at the meat section. It grabbed one of the frozen meats, gnawing on it, trying to eat it.

While all of us stayed quiet, not wanting the creature to see us, we then heard a _fsst_ sound, breaking the silence, and we all turned our heads quickly to see Champ had opened up his soda that he was caring.

"Really?" I mouthed, not wanting the werewolf to see us. "You have to open it up just now?" I can't believe he did that.

Before he could answer, we quickly ran back to the other end as I was with Zach and Stine, while Champ is with Hannah. Zach gestured Hannah and Champ to go right, and we went in the opposite direction.

The three of us went to another aisle. "Why would Champ do that?" I whispered to Zach. "He totally blew our cover," I complained.

"I know," he answered. That's when we saw Stine pick up a can of body spray, and started spraying all over himself. "What are you doing?" Zach asked.

"Yeah, why are you putting on body spray?" I questioned.

"That's _The Werewolf Of Fever Swamp_, he can smell my scent," he explained. He continued to spray himself, even spraying the stuff in the air, walking through it, and did one more.

"Is it working?" I asked him once he stopped.

He sniffed under his arm. "No, it's not working." He tossed the can at Zach, who caught it in his hand. "I have to hide." He then ran somewhere to hide.

Zach put the can back on the shelf with the others. "Come on, Hazel." He began to walk away, only I didn't move, looking at the body sprays, wondering why it didn't cover up Stine's scent. "Hazel, let's go," he gestured, grabbing the sleeve of my shirt, remembering that I don't like to be touched.

We walked over to where the pet stuff are at with Hannah and Champ right behind us as we peaked around the aisle where the dog toys are at. There, we saw Stine underneath the table of oranges, being very still as possible, the werewolf just over his head.

It licked his face, drool dripping out of its mouth. The drool landed on Stine's forehead, slipping down on the side of his nose. He tried to shake it off, but it stuck there.

"Shh." Zach put his index finger to his lips. "No, no, no." He signaled him to stay quiet, only Stine shook his head, trying to get the drool off him.

Hannah looked down at Zach. "Do something," she urged, knowing her dad was at his limit.

Looking at the toys, I grabbed a rubber turkey leg. "Here," I whispered very softly. "Throw it and the werewolf will go after it," I instructed towards Zach, taking it out of the package.

Nodding his head at my idea, he took the rubber toy and, standing up slowly, he threw it as hard as he can. We heard it squeak on the floor and the werewolf went after it.

"Come on, come on." Zach waved his hand, motioning Stine to get out of his hiding spot. Stine spit out the drool that had got into his mouth, and crawled out from underneath the table of oranges, making is way towards us, standing back up. "Come on, go, go, go," Zach said, after seeing the werewolf looking at us and figured out the rubber turkey leg is a fake, and it began chasing after us.

"He's on our tail," Stine said. "Go," he commanded. I looked up to see the werewolf running on top of the freezer, and Champ let out a scream.

"Go! He's right behind us!" Zach cried out. I grabbed one of the tall carts, throwing it on the ground that was filled with food cans, making the werewolf trip over it, hitting his shoulder where the vegetables are at. "Come. Go, go!" he hollered as we all kept running.

Stine ran backwards, smiling. "Hahaha," he laughed, seeing that the werewolf had slowed down. "Haha- Oh." He fell right into the shopping cart filled with food and Zach grabbed the handle with both hands, looking back, and I saw the animal recover, shaking its body like a real dog would do. "I'm stuck," Stine grunted. "Help me get out." But Zach started pushing the cart, the author still in the basket. "What are you doing?"

"There's no time!" Zach answered.

"Just get me out of here."

"Gotta go. There's no time," he repeated, still pushing the cart.

"I said get me out-" Stine started to protest again and me and him saw the werewolf going after us. "Oh, no. Keep going. He's chasing us," he realized, understanding what Zach was telling him now, the werewolf barking at us.

"I'm going as fast as I can." Zach looked back with a frantic look on his face. Stine picked up a bag of marshmallows, whistled, and threw it the wild monster, only for it to throw it aside and continued to bark. The three of us saw Champ and Hannah over at the door, and Zach hollered towards them. "Just go. We're right behind you."

"Okay!" Champ responded as he and Hannah ran out the door. I grabbed a can of peas that was also in the shopping cart and threw it at the werewolf's nose. It yelped in pain, stopping for a second.

"Ahh! Oh!" I turned to see that the cart had tipped over to where the chips are at as he and Zach fell on the floor.

"Come on, we gotta go," I exclaimed, urging them to stand back up. "Get up. Get up." I looked back at the werewolf. Zach helped Stine off the floor as the three of us ran towards the door.

"Come on, come on." Hannah motioned her hands quickly.

"Let's go, guys." Champ also did the same, urging us towards the exit.

"Come on, come on, come on," Hannah continued to say, and we quickly got out of the store and Stine slammed the door shut, locking it up.

"Ha!" He walked towards with a victorious smile, proud of what he did. "Let's see him get through _that_," he declared. Then there was a loud _bang_ sound coming from the door that he had locked. Then another one.

"Go, go! Run, run!" I yelled, knowing what's going to happen next, and we all ran down the ramp when we heard the door burst open, flying onto the pavement. I looked back to see the werewolf barking, jumping over the railing, going after us.

Running to the other side of the store, we saw another door. Champ grabbed it and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't. "It's lock," he told us.

"This way." Just as we were about to follow Stine, the werewolf was suddenly in front of us, growling, its claws scratching on the large trucks that bring food to the store. Stine held his arms out as we all backed up towards the wall of the building.

The werewolf stopped and let out a roar when a car came out of nowhere, hitting it and it sailed into the dumpster, whimpering as the lid fell and trapped the werewolf inside.

"I'm okay." The airbag flew out of the steering wheel at the person who ran into the monster. "I'm still okay!" As the person got out of the car, I saw a familiar woman that has white fur all over her shirt and in her hair.

"Who is that?" Hannah asked.

"That's my aunt Lorraine," Zach told her.

"Oh, my gosh." Lorraine went over to where she hit the creature. "I think I just killed that bear," she informed us with worry.

"It was actually a werewolf," I corrected her.

She gave me a confused look, squinting her eyes. "...what?"

"Aunt Lorraine, what are you doing here?" Zach walked up to his aunt as all of us came over to her.

"This is the back of my store," she explained, and I looked over to see a sign that has her name on it, indicating that she works here. "I couldn't get ahold of your mother or the cops or anyone..." Her voice trailed off when she saw Stine in front of her. "Hello," she greeted, her face turning pink.

"Uh, hi. Hello," Stine stuttered, his face doing the same color.

"Hi. I don't think we've been properly introduced..." She held out her hand, using the other one to flick her hair out of her face. "Um... I'm... I'm Lorraine," she told him, smiling her cheery smile that I had seen on her when I first met her in Zach's house.

"Hello. I'm R.L. Stine," he introduced back, placing his hand on hers. "We owe you a great debt of gratitude. Your reckless driving..." He looked down to see that she put her other hand on top of his and he did the same. "...saved our lives," he finished.

"Oh, that old thing?" she replied, feeling flattered at his comment.

"Lorraine. Lorraine," Zach spoke up.

"So..."

"Lorraine." He finally got her attention, Lorraine looking at her nephew camly, letting go of Stine's hands. "We don't have time," he told her as we all began walking away. "I need you to go to the police station and tell them to meet us at the high school," he instructed her. "Alright? Can you do that?" he asked, hoping it's not much of a big deal for her.

She nodded. "I can do that. Okay," she replied to his request. And as we ran, we heard her hollering out, "Oh, did you want to exchange numbers?"

Stine quickly replied with, "It's not a good time, but yes!"

We all hurried to the graveyard and I hope we don't meet anymore monsters. And boy was I wrong.


	6. Chapter 6: Ghouls And Sadler Ghosts

**Chapter 6: Ghouls And Sadler Ghosts**

* * *

Entering into the graveyard, I couldn't help but feel like we are being watched. Each step I took sent a chill down my spine, and my mind kept going back and forth, thinking that these three kids of my age are only pretending to be my friends... Just like the voice is telling me. However, something else came into my mind, too. The one where Zach asked, 'How come I never seen you smile?'

I sighed to myself, where no one else can see it as I walked next to Stine with Champ on the other side, kicking a rock out of my way. And when I asked Stine if they are my friends, he actually gave me a shocked look on his face, and when he asked me why I think they are not my friends, all I gave him was 'I don't know'. Maybe... Maybe I am being crazy. Only... how can I tell if these people are my friends? I've been through a lot growing up.

I kicked another rock, shoving my hands deep into my pocket, thinking, my mind racing over to the evil, wooden puppet that wants me, making my arm do a slight jerk.

"Oh, God, this a bad idea..." Champ looked around nervously, and jumped when he heard a _snap_ sound. "What was that?" he yelped, his eyes darting back and forth, until he tripped and fell.

"Are you okay?" Stine asked, helping the boy back on his feet as I watched.

"Yeah, yeah. Yeah." He brushed himself off. "Yeah. Just a root. Nothing scary here."

"So how did you get the nickname 'Champ'?" Stine questioned.

"It's not a nickname," Champ told him.

I gave him a surprised look. "Wait, that's your real name?" I replied.

"My full name is Champion," he explained, and Stine started snickering.

"Your actual name is Champion..." He looked over at the boy who gave him a hurt look. "Sorry," he apologized.

"My dad won a bronze back in the '92 Olympics," Champ began telling his story of how he got his name.

"Really?" By the tone of his voice, I can tell that Stine was interested by the story, and so was I... It was like how I got the name of 'Hazel' cause of my eye color. Even though people had already noticed, and I don't need to actually tell them.

"My mom..." Champ continued tell his story. "...she was an all-American sprinter and a two-time world debate champion. So..." He shrugged his shoulders, smiling. "They named me 'Champ'." He kicked a rock out of his way, watching it bounce off a gravestone. "Only... I'm not the best at everything..." He sighed, kicking another one out of the way. "I'm... basically afraid of everything." He then turned to me. "I'm not sure if I asked you this, but, um... How did you got your name?"

"Hmm?" I returned, snapping out of my thoughts.

"How did you got the name 'Hazel?" he repeated.

I breathed out of my nose. "From the eye color..." I merely answered. I sighed, slightly louder this time, and looked over at Stine. "Can I say something to you?" I asked.

"Sure, go ahead," he responded, waiting for what I have to say.

"Well, this isn't going to be easy for me to say, but..." I rubbed the back of my head. "Were you..." I struggled to get the words out of my mouth.

"Go on..." Stine waited patiently.

"All I'm trying to ask is... were you... beating your own...daughter...?" I flinched by the time the words came out of my mouth. I turned my head, seeing a surprised look on his face.

Stine adjusted his glasses for like the hundredth time that night. "Why would you think I was hurting my own daughter...?"

I bit my bottom lip. "I don't know... It just came to me when I _was_ doing my final walk before I hit for bed until now. I heard you and Hannah arguing, and right before I knew it, she was screaming bloody murder when I heard a crash in your house, and the lights going out," I explained. "And also..." I added. "Why did you lie to the cops, saying that she moved to London?"

Stine sighed heavily. "I just don't want them to know about my secret," he answered.

"The one about the monsters that are now reeking havoc around town?" I replied. He did a small nod. I sighed. "You know... I didn't want to tell you or anyone about my past childhood, but... maybe I'm ready."

"Oh?" He looked at me. "What was your childhood like? I know you told me you don't have real parents anymore... So did you have foster parents?"

I opened my mouth. "Well, actually..."

_**"RUN!"**_ I heard a cry from behind us.

We all turned to see Zach and Hannah running towards us with zombie creatures chasing them. Zach shoved one onto the ground. Stine recognized what they are. "Ghouls. Go, go." He gave Champ a quick shove, getting him to run, while I stood there for a small second. "Hazel, run!" Stine cried out, grabbing my sleeve of my shirt. "Go!" He pulled me in front of him, and I ran with him right behind me, the others right ahead of us as we caught up with them at the gates.

"Oh, they're getting closer," Champ manage to say once we got to the gates, and Stine held it open for us, since there was a chain that kept the gates from fully opening.

"Go. Here. Go. Go." Stine waved his hand for us to get through between the gates, and we did.

"Come on. Come on. Go, go, go," Zach urged Stine as he began to go through between the gates. "Hurry. Quick, quick, quick."

But Stine can only get halfway out of the gates. "I'm stuck," he told us. "Go on without me. Save yourself," he said in a slight dramatic way.

"Okay, good luck." Champ turned and started running down the path.

Stine's mouth dropped open. "No, I didn't mean it, _Champion!_" he yelled out, but the teen kept on going. "What kind of monster would take me up for that offer?" He looked at the ghouls that were grabbing him. "Get away from me," he commanded, then turned to us. "Pull. Everybody pull." Zach and Hannah grabbed him, while I grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him out between the gates, and we all fell on the dirt ground. "I'll kill him." Stine stood up as we did the same. "Where is that little imbecile?" He started running with us right behind him. "Wait for us, you _coward!_" he hollered.

* * *

**Slappy**

* * *

I slammed my wooden fist on the desk, glaring at Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage. "You don't have her?!" I cried in an angry voice. "I told you to get that girl before I get rid of papa!" My eyes glared at them through the sunglasses that I was wearing. "Why don't you have her!?" I demanded, my voice doing a high raspy sound in my throat.

"We thought it would be a good idea for you to wait for awhile..."

"Why?!" I contorted, cutting Purple Rage off his words.

"Let's just say she got a bit, no, very... sick when I mentioned you," Maniac grinned, showing his straight row of upper and bottom teeth.

"I don't care!" I got up from the chair, standing on the desk, grabbing him by the hair. "I've already noticed back at papa's study room," I hissed, pulling him close to my face. "I want her... to freak her out even more..." I seized, gripping his hair tightly.

"Can you at least wait for the right timing?" he asked, pulling his hair out of my hand. "You know... when nobody else is watching?"

"I-" I stopped yelling, a grin spreading all over my face. "You know... that's not a bad idea," I said, thinking. "When nobody is watching, use anything to get her to you guys, then bring her to me."

"What about Stine Boy?" Maniac questioned, fixing his hair.

"I'll deal with him, then! Now go!" I pointed out the door. Once they left, I sat back down on the chair, putting my wooden hands on my face. "Monsters," I muttered, shaking my head. "You can live with them, you can't live without them."

I then heard the door open. "Hello?" a voice spoke, which sounded like a lady. "Is anyone in here?" I then heard her speak into the microphone that was at the front desk. "Calling all cops, calling all the cops. Head to the high school. My nephew's in trouble. He's with R.L. Stine. They think they know how to stop all this." She stopped speaking into the microphone, pressing the button. "Hello? Can anyone hear me?"

"_I_ can hear you." I lifted the blinds up, revealing myself to the lady, who now has a shocked look on her face. "Sergeant Slappy, ready to protect and serve," I stated.

The startled look didn't leave her face and her mouth dropped open. "Oh, my goodness. You're..." she began.

"Don't do it..." I warned.

"...a talking..." she added.

"Don't say it..." I kept on warning.

"...dummy," she finished.

"You said it." The two Bug-Eyed Aliens walked into the room, freezing the woman who let out a terrified yell once she got frozen. "You have the right to remain..." I paused. "...silence." I looked at the Bug-Eyed Aliens. "Thank you, boys." I let out a laugh. "Now... before I get to the high school, I just need that girl, then... I'll get rid of you, papa!" I opened my mouth, letting out an evil laugh.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

By the time we caught up to Champ, Stine gave him an angry look. "Why did you run off like that!?" he roared.

"You said to save to yourself," Champ answered.

"I was being dramatic, I didn't really mean it," Stine told him.

Champ looked down. "Oh... Sorry," he murmured.

"Come on, we should get going before more monsters come at us," I advised. "Plus, I don't want to get captured by Maniac and Purple Rage, and be taken to Slappy." I shuddered.

"Yeah, we should-" A twig snapped, cutting Stine off.

"What was that?" Hannah scooted closer to her father, and Zach picked up a very thick stick that was half his size. Another snap, and Champ let out a yelp, going behind Zach.

Three figures appeared from the trees, walking towards us. Two boys and one girl. The one boy seemed to be about twelve, tall and thin with short brown hair, and some freckles across his nose. The girl looks about to eleven years old, with short brown hair. The other boy, who seems a lot younger, which looks about five, with large ears that poked through his light blonde hair, and blue eyes, while the other two have hazel eyes like mine, their skin tone is the color of Caucasian like Zach's. The girl and the younger boy also have freckles on their noses, too.

The older boy wore a black-sleeved baseball shirt, and grey cargo shorts and shoes. The girl wore a violet headband on her head, a sleeveless pink T-shirt, dark purple cropped trousers and purple shoes, while the younger boy wore a red and yellow striped shirt and black shorts, along with dark, blue sneakers.

"The Sadlers," Stine gasped once they stopped in front of us.

"That's right..." The older boy stepped forward. "...dad."

The girl giggled. "I can't believe you even remember us," she mused, giving a smirk. "Even after you created us back in August of nineteen nighty-four." She looked over at Hannah. "Hey there, Hannah," she tried to say in a friendly way, but it came out wickedly. "I bet you don't even remember me or my brothers." She let out another giggle.

"Of course I do," Hannah spoke, going over to them. Stine grabbed her, pulling her behind him.

I, however, blinked. "Who are you...?" I manage to ask.

The older boy cast a glare at me. "Hello? We're the Sadlers, you worthless girl," he snapped. "Just like our dad mentioned." He pointed at Stine.

"I am not your dad!" Stine clenched his hands into fists. "And you don't call Hazel worthless," he added.

"_Hazel?_" The girl let out a scornful laugh. "That's the most ridiculous name I ever heard!" She pointed at me, laughing. "How did you get that name, loser?"

"Don't call me that..." I tried to say, tears brimming in my eyes. "You can clearly tell how I got my name..."

But her laughing made it even worse for me to try to explain to these three kids. Even though they're younger then us, those words sank into my skin.

"Oh, right." The girl took a deep breath, calming herself down. "It's because of your eyes. I get it." She shrugged. "Still, it's the most ridiculous name I and my brothers ever heard."

"Oh yeah?" Zach stepped forward, the stick in his hands. "Then who are you?" he challenged.

"You want to know our names?" the older boy smirked, not scared at all by Zach nor his weapon. "Well, let me introduce myself and my siblings. I'm Sam Sadler..." He pointed at himself. "This is Louisa Sadler..." He pointed at the girl, then the smaller boy. "And this is Nat Sadler. We're from the book _Ghost Beach_," he told us.

"What do you want?" Stine demanded.

"Oh... nothing," Nat finally spoke up, grinning an evil grin. "Just... wanted to, let's just say... do destruction on this town..." He giggled.

"You're ghosts?" Champ squealed from behind Zach.

"Of _course _we are!" Louisa seethed. "We are ghosts."

"What gave it away? The title that I mentioned?" Sam questioned in an irritated voice. "It's a good thing that Slappy let us out. We missed being out of our book, scaring the daylights out of people..." He snickered.

"All of you monsters are going to be gone for good," Stine vowed from earlier. "Every single one of you." He pointed at each ghost, eyes narrowing at each of them.

"Oooh, I'm _so_ scared," Louisa mocked sarcastically. "No way, you'll stop us."

"Yes, he will!" I took the stick out of Zach's hand. "Stine will stop you and all the monsters that he has ever created!"

Sam grabbed the stick from the other end. "Our own dad wouldn't do that to us... right?" He glanced at Stine.

"Yes, he will," I said, yanking the stick away from him as he kept his smirk on his face. That smirk which brought me back when I was younger... "Get lost... or else."

"Or else, what?" Sam crossed his arms, coming closer to me. "What are you going to do?"

"This!" I swung the stick, hitting him right at the side of his head, knocking him onto the ground.

"Sam!" his two siblings shrieked.

"Go! Run!" I yelled, dropping the stick.

We all ran, and we heard Sam yelling out behind us. "You can run, but you can't hide!" His words echoed around us.

By the time we made it out of the woods, we stopped, and Hannah turned to me. "Why'd you do that?" she asked me, catching her breath.

"Hey, I just did it," I answered.

"At least you didn't let those hurtful words get to you." Champ pat me on the shoulder, and I flinched. "Sorry," he said. "Forgot that you don't like to be touched."

"It's fine. The words did got me under my skin, but I shook it off." I frowned. "They did remind me of everything back when I was a kid."

"Speaking of your childhood," Stine brought up. "Mind telling us about it since Zach cut you off."

"Um..." I stepped back. "Even though I said I was ready, let's stop these evil things first. Then maybe, just maybe, I'll tell you."

"She's right." Zach nodded. "First the monsters, then you can tell us about your childhood. Only when you're ready." He did a quick grin, and I didn't grin back. "Friends 'til the end, right?" he asked.

"What does that mean?" Champ responded.

"It's just a saying," he explained.

"So... we aren't friends?"

"Yes, Champ, we are." Zach rolled his eyes. "It means that... Ugh, nevermind. Let's just get to the high school and warn everybody." He started jogging down the path to the high school with the others following.

Friends 'til the end... Are they really my friends? I wish I can just ask them, but... I sighed. I still think they are just pretending.

And if they are, will I feel happy again?

Sighing again, I ran to catch up with them.

Again, only time will tell me.

* * *

**Slappy**

* * *

I walked out of the police station when the lawn gnomes came up to me. "I was wondering when you little things will come back," I said. They started talking in their small voices. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. They broke you into pieces, whatever." Just then Maniac and Purple Rage came back. "Ugh! I told you to get that girl!" I was getting really frustrated with these two.

"Yeah, about that..." Maniac spoke. "Where should we get her?"

"They're going to the high school." All of us turned to see Sam and his two siblings right behind him, running up to us. They stopped, panting. "We saw them going down the path to the high school," he repeated, catching his breath.

"What happened to you?" I asked, noticing a bruise on the side of his head.

"Some girl called Hazel hit me with a stick," he quickly explained.

"Hazel... I'm surprised that she did that. So you said that she and the others are heading to the high school, am I right?"

Louisa nodded. "That's right," she panted.

I clapped my hands together. "We're going to high school," I declared. I got in the car, rolling down the window, looking at Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage. "You remember what to do, right?"

"Use anything to get her to us when no one is looking," Purple Rage remembered.

"Good... when no one is watching." I pointed a finger at them. "But if you fail... you'll pay the consequences. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," they both saluted.

"Let's go." The Haunted Car started up, and we all headed to the high school.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

When we reached the school, we entered the building, walking around. "Where did they put my typewriter?" Stine asked out loud. "I know it was this way. It might be the other way. We should split up," he suggested, but Champ didn't think so.

"What? No. We should never split up. Have you read one of your books?" he responded.

"Come on. How many display cases could there be?" Hannah grabbed Champ. "Come on, Hazel."

"Coming," I replied, and followed them.

We began looking for the typewriter.

I didn't see anyone else, besides the people I'm with, looking at all the posters on the walls of the hallways, until I spotted something in one of the display cases. "Hey guys, I found the typewriter," I exclaimed, going over to it.

"Awesome," Hannah declared. "Good eye, Hazel."

"...thanks..."

"Let's go tell dad." Hannah jogged down the hallway. "Dad! Zach!" She kept on hollering, her voice echoing. We didn't find them until we got to one of the classrooms that we entered. "There you are." She stopped, noticing the looks on their faces. "Are you okay?" she asked, walking towards Zach. "You look like you just saw a ghost," she said in a joking manner, but Zach didn't laugh, and she took notice to that. "Okay. Well, come on. Thanks to Hazel, we found the typewriter."

As she, Champ, and Stine left the room, I stared at Zach, noticing something is up. "...are you okay?" I asked.

"Huh?" He shook his head. "Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine."

"...Alright." I wasn't too convinced on what he just told me. We ran out of the room, catching up with the others at the display case where I saw the typewriter.

"Oh, my sweet darling, I've missed you so much. Mwah." Stine gave the typewriter a kiss, before closing typewriter case, then took it out of the display case. He held the handle of his typewriter case that the typewriter was in.

"Alright, so start writing," Zach urged.

"Yes, but what's the story?" Stine began thinking.

"What do you mean? Monsters lose, good guys win, the end," Zach kept on urging him to write.

However, Stine shook his head. "No, no, no," he said. "It doesn't work unless it's a real _Goosebumps_ story, with twists and turns and frights," he explained, then smiled at Zach. "Not to mention some personal growth for our hero."

Zach blinked. "...what?"

"Go to the gym. Warn everyone," Stine ignored his question, walking away with the typewriter in his hand. "Tell them to barricade the doors."

"Where are you going?" Hannah called out, having Stine stop when she and the two boys got to the doors, leading to the gym.

"To find someplace to write," he answered. "Slappy's going to come after me. I have a deadline." He looked at his watch, then back at us. "Literally. Now go," he urged. "Hazel, come with me," he gestured. "It'll be easier to keep you safe from him if you're with me."

I nodded. "Got it."

Just as I was about to follow Stine to wherever he was going, I felt something hit me from behind. "Ow." I looked down to see something on the floor, making me tilt my head to one side. A penny? Who in the world would throw a penny at me?

Another one hit the floor, further this time. Then another. I didn't pick them up, I just followed each time another one hit the tile floor, leading me out the front door.

By the time I stepped out of the school, I heard laughing. "Hey, coins _do _work," a voice exclaimed with insane laughter, making my heart go up in my throat. "Great idea, Purple Rage. Coins make great bait."

I turned to see Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage walking up to me. Maniac grinned.

"Hello, girly..."


	7. Chapter 7: Monsters Attack

**Chapter 7: Monsters Attack**

* * *

**Zach**

* * *

I walked into the gym where the dance is being taken place. Of course, the dancing that everyone is doing is, well... awful, as I made my way through the high schoolers with Hannah right behind me. "Excuse me," I said. "Coming through." I continued my way through the dancing crowd. "Come on. We gotta get to the stage." I turned to see that Hannah isn't behind me anymore, so I went back to her, seeing a happy smile on her face.

"So this is what a high school dance is like," she said thrilled.

"Uh, yeah..." I looked around, grabbing her hand, pulling her through the crowd. "Usually, the dancing's..." I looked around watching everyone doing their horrible dancing. "...better. But you get the idea."

"That what they call dancing?" Hannah asked.

I shrugged. "...I'm not sure," I answered honestly.

"Zach." I looked around, hearing my name being called, until I spotted my mom.

"Mom. Mom." I went up to her.

"Zach," she said. "I was so worried. I couldn't get hold of you or Lorraine."

"I know. I know. Mom, everyone in here is in danger. We have to barricade the school..." I saw a disbelief look on my mom's face.

"Oh, no, Zach." Mom shook her head. "Not this again..."

"He's telling you the truth." Hannah stepped forward and held out her hand. "I'm Hannah," she introduced. "I live next door."

"Alright. Okay, everyone, listen up. Okay?" Me, Hannah, including everyone else saw Champ on the stage, the music dying out when he started speaking into the microphone. "Okay. Everybody, you gotta listen up..."

"Champ." I looked back to see one of the teachers. "Get down," he said.

However, Champ didn't get off that stupid stage. "I have something to say..." he struggled as everyone stared at him from the floor. "Uh... wow. Okay...um..." Sweat came to his forehead. "Uh, okay, uh..." Rolling my eyes, I walked onto the stage. "Listen to my best friend, Zach." Champ shoved the microphone into my hands, almost making me drop it. "Just... Just tell them," he told me.

I rolled my eyes again. "Thanks, Champ." I brought the microphone up to my mouth and spoke into it. "Yeah. Yeah. Alright. Um... This is going to sound insane, but..." God, I can't believe I'm doing this. "...monsters have invaded Madison."

The reaction I got was laughter. They thought I was joking!

"Guys, it's the truth. Okay?" Champ tried to defend me, only to fail miserably. "He's telling the truth. It's... He's not making this up..."

"They've blocked every road in town," I kept on trying to tell them. "They've torn down the cell towers, and we've been cut off from the rest of the world. And they could be here any second, so we need to work to..."

"Ahh!" a kid yelled out, interrupting me. "He's right." He looked out the window then back at the crowd. "It's the Boogeyman. And he's picking his nose."

Everyone burst out laughing again. I let out a heavy breath. "I'm not making..."

"Ahh!" he yelled out again, looking out the window then back at the crowd again. "There's a giant bug, and it's eating everybody's cars!"

"Uh, it's getting old, dude," another one spoke, the laughter that is now dead.

"No, seriously!" Suddenly, the wall broke apart, and the kid was picked up by the praying mantis from outside, making everyone scream when they saw it.

I turned to my friends. "They're here."

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

"Hello, girly..."

I gasped, looking up to see Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage. I stepped away from them, pressing my back against the school building. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice weak and shrill.

"Slappy just wants to see you," Maniac sneered, stepping towards me.

I felt my arm do a small jerk. "Why?" I responded, my voice getting a bit bolder. "Just to freak me out?" I scooted down the wall, my eyes locked on the villains.

"Probably..." he snickered. "Have you ever noticed that you get very, well... anxious when you hear or see Slappy? Because we did."

"That's because I'm afraid of dolls and ventriloquist dummies," I confessed. "And I'm suppose to be with Stine. He's the one who's keeping me safe."

"Oh, really?" Purple Rage scoffed. "Then why are you here?"

"You made me come towards you!" I curled my hands into tight fists. "Stine is going to stop you once and for all," I declared, my eyes casting glares at them. "And so will my friends."

"Are they your friends...?" Maniac questioned me.

"I-" I paused, thinking. Are they? "I'm... I'm not sure... But I keep asking myself this, and they are friends..."

"Ha!" he laughed. "How do you know that?"

"..." I hesitated before speaking again. "Because I do know. The voice in my head keeps saying that I have no friends," I told them, walking towards them. "And I know I shouldn't listen to it..."

"Or maybe you should..." Maniac kept on sneering.

"You don't know anything about me..." I seethed.

"True... but Slappy does."

I blew a razzberry. "Yeah, right," I scoffed in disbelief. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and find Stine. I was suppose to be with him." I began to walk away, when Purple Rage grabbed me by the arm, and I flinched at the feeling of being touched. "Let go!" I cried.

"Slappy wants you," he growled, spitting into my face.

"Let go, I don't like to be touched!" I struggled to get free, but with no use as I was dragged over away from the school towards a black car, and thrown onto the ground, seeing a license plate that read _Haunted_ on it. I sat up when the car door opened and shut.

"Hey there," Slappy greeted, grinning his creepy grin. I turned away from him, ignoring him. "Why are you not afraid?" he asked, going in front of me, lifting my chin up with his wooden finger, and I slapped it away.

"Get away from me..." I warned.

"You know... you seem to have a pretty rough childhood, am I right?" he said, ignoring my warning.

"Shut up..." I hissed. "You don't need to know anything about me."

"Oh?" He lifted up a wooden brow. "But weren't you going to tell papa?"

"How do you know that...?" I replied, standing up and getting onto my feet.

"I'm smart," he answered. "Smart enough to know that you..." He pointed at me. "...had a rough childhood. You have no friends, and papa betrayed you like he did to me. As well as your other friends."

"Those two idiots lure me out here," I protested. "And Stine didn't betray me nor my friends!"

"Are you sure?" he questioned, his eyes lingering at me.

I opened my mouth to speak, when I heard screaming from the school, and saw the giant praying mantis picking up some kid out of the school where the gym is.

Slappy laughed. "Haha! Now this is a real homecoming!" he proclaimed, taking the key out of his pocket of his tux, holding it in front of the lawn gnomes. "Take this. Invite the rest of our friends to the party," he told them. He was about to drop the key when I snatched it away from him. "Hey!" he protested. "Give that back!"

"You're not releasing anymore monsters, gremlin!" I wrapped my fingers around the key. "Stine will stop you!"

"In your dreams, girly!" He jumped, reaching for the key. "Now give me that key... or else."

"Or else, what?" I retorted. "You are not letting out anymore monsters, Slappy."

"Give me that key!" Slappy yelled, jumping for it. "You're worse then papa!"

"Really?" I said. "Then I guess I have to give this to your 'papa'."

Slappy growled, glaring his brown eyes into mine. "Give...me...that...key..." he said slowly.

"I'm not giving it to you, dummy!" I exclaimed.

"Who you calling dummy? Dummy," he snarled. "Now give me back that key! Hazel, I'm warning you. We can do this the easy way... or the hard way. Which is it?"

"I'm choosing neither," I refused. "You're not having this key, Slappy."

"Just give it to me!" he screeched. "I want revenge on papa, but you're just slowing us down! Give me that key!"

"What did he ever do to you?!" I cried, still not giving him the key.

"He locked me up in a book! Back in Chicago!" He jumped for the key again.

"Is there a reason why?" I questioned further, my fear turning into anger.

"To get revenge, but it never worked! Give me that key!"

"You're not having it!" Raising my foot, I kicked Slappy, sending him back a few feet.

Slappy grunted when he hit the ground. Then, slowly, he turned his head towards me, glaring daggers into my eyes. "You shouldn't have done that, Hazel..." Suddenly, he got up and knocked me to the ground. "Now give me that key," he ordered, trying to pry my fingers open.

"Get off me!" I cried, trying to shove him off of me. "Slappy, get off! I'm not giving it to you!" I kept a good grip on the key, using my left hand to try and push him off. "Slappy, stop it! Get off! You're not-_OW!_" I screamed, when I felt his wooden jaw clamped down onto my arm, near my wrist, biting down hard. "Ow! Slappy, let go!" I kept on screaming. But he bit down harder, and I can feel his upper and bottom teeth go through the sleeve of my shirt, sinking into my skin, cutting into it.

_**"LET GO OF ME!"**_ Using my other hand, I transferred the key, then threw it as hard as I could. Then I grabbed the back of Slappy's tux, ripping my arm out of his mouth, heaving him right into the front of the Haunted Car, and he hit the back of his head on the license plate. I got up, staggering back, gasping, then ran towards the school building by the time the wooden devil recovered.

"Just to let you know," I heard Slappy yelling out to me. "When I bite, I marked you! And it'll be permitted except when I get sucked back into a book, which will be never!" His laugh echoed into the sky.

I ran inside the school, looking for Stine.

"Where is he?" I asked out loud, then saw the auditorium, running into it, slamming the door shut, gasping for breath.

Stine jumped from his seat. "Hazel?" He had a surprised look on his face. "I thought you were with me."

"Those two goons brought me over to Slappy," I quickly explained, holding my arm. "And Slappy _bit me_!" I screeched in a high, shrill voice, going over to him.

"He did what!?" he roared, getting up off his seat from the table where he had set his typewriter down. "He bit you!?"

"I'm not lying, right?" I replied. "And if I was, then I wouldn't been shaking. He even yelled out that he marked me. What the hell does that mean?!" I cried. I ran to the table, giving it a hard kick to it. "Dammit!" I cursed.

"Let me see," Stine requested.

I hesitated, then moved one of my sleeves up, showing it to him.

He looked at it, his eyes going wide. _"Karru Marri Odonna Loma Molonu Karrano," _he suddenly read.

"What did you just say?!" I cried out again.

"He did marked you, Hazel. Just like he said. Those words translate to _You And I Are One_ _Now_," he told me.

The color drained out of my face. "...no..." I backed away. "No!" I yelled out, tears streaming down my face. "No! No! No!" I began kicking the table again. "No! No! No!" I kept on yelling

"Hazel, Hazel." I felt Stine grabbed me, pulling me away from the table, and I squirmed away at the feeling of being touched. "Relax; calm down. What else did tell you?" he asked

I looked down at the floor. "...he's says it's only permitted except when he gets suck into a book," I mumbled. "Is that true...?"

Stine let out a sigh. "I'm not sure... Slappy has never bitten anyone. Not even me. But... we'll see. For now, sit over there, while I start writing."

At least he's being honest. I wasn't so sure, either. I walked over to where Stine told me to sit. I sat down, mumbling to myself as I listen to what Stine is typing.

"The night was cold..." He paused, thinking about it for a second. "Cold was the night." I heard him took the paper out of the typewriter, placing a new one in, and began typing again.

_You And I Are One Now..._ Those words stayed with me. Also, there's something else that I didn't tell Stine. About where Slappy says that Stine and my friends had betrayed me, just like how it happened to him...

Suddenly, we heard a crash, and people yelling. I'm guessing that Slappy had already released the rest of the monsters...

* * *

**Champ**

* * *

Oh, God, I can't believe I'm doing this. When I saw the monsters burst through the barricade doors, I have to find somewhere to hide. That is, until I heard voices.

"We should be helping," a voice argued, which I clearly recognized.

"We should be _leaving_," another voice protested, sounding like a male, until I heard two startled yelps, and saw a boy running around the corner.

"What? What? Where are you going?" the same female voice cried out. "We are so..." The voice stopped. "...through." I then heard pleading and begging, and I peered around the corner. I gasped when I saw the werewolf stalking towards Taylor. "Please, no. Please. No, please." She backed away from it, bumping into the water fountain.

I gotta do something. So, with a yell, I ran towards the werewolf, jumping on it. The werewolf barked and growled, trying to throw me off, but I held my grip, refusing to let go. It rammed me into lockers, but I didn't let go. I kept holding onto the wild dog.

Opening my mouth, I bit down on werewolf's shoulder and neck. It let out a yelping pain when it felt a burning sizzle on his fur and skin, flinging me off of him, and I landed harshly on the floor, watching the werewolf whimpering as it scampered away.

"Oh, my God." I heard high-heels clatter towards me, and saw Taylor kneeling down in front of me. "How'd you do that?" she asked amazed.

"Oh, um..." I opened my mouth. "Silver fillings," I explained. "I have a ton of cavities. When I was ten, I didn't brush my teeth for a whole year." I made a face, feeling something in my mouth. "Ugh," I said. "Werewolf hair..." I took some bits of hair out my mouth. "Oh." I felt her hug me, surprising me.

She then gazed into my eyes. "You saved my life, Chump," Taylor said.

My face glowed red. "It's actually 'Champ'," I corrected her. Then, without me realizing it, she began to kiss me, surprising me even more. When she was finished, I had a smile on my face. "I was just gonna say 'hug me again', but yeah, yeah, that works, too," I grinned as she let out a light laugh. "Come on, let's go find the others." I took her hand, and we started searching for my friends.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

I stared at the words that Slappy gave me with Stine still typing on his typewriter.

"All the monsters have converged," he typed. "The vicious vampire bats... the praying mantis... the Haunted Mask..."

"Forgetting somebody...?" I gasped when I heard another voice in the room, and so did Stine as he stopped typing.

"Slappy..." Stine breathed out, and the lights went on, and we saw him sitting at one of the row of seats. "How did you find us?" he asked.

Slappy laughed. "I know you. I created you." He then turned his head in thought. "Or is it the other way around?" he said, thinking, then looked at Stine. "I always forget. We're so similar..."

The lights went out again, and Stine looked around. "Slappy? Slappy? Slappy?" he called out as I stood up, looking around as well. "Slappy?"

"Hi." Stine let out a yelp and I let out a startled cry when we saw him on the table. Slappy bent down over the typewriter. "_Everyone at the high school join forces to defeat Slappy and his monsters_," he read. He stood back up. "Hmm," he mused, nodding his head slightly, before narrowing his eyebrows at the writer. "_But Slappy had other ideas_..." he improvised his own line.

As if Stine read his thoughts, he went up to the typewriter. "No." He placed his hands in it, and Slappy slammed the top case down. Stine let out a painful yell.

"Dad!" I heard a scream, and saw Hannah and Zach walked into the room by the time Slappy vanished, going over to us.

"Are you okay?" Zach asked.

"That dumb dummy broke my fingers," Stine groaned as Hannah slip is tie off of him, tying fingers. "I was almost finished. Only one or two pages left."

"Yeah, and earlier he bit me," I added.

Zach's eyes went wide. "He bit you!?" he exclaimed.

I nodded. "But we're not sure if it's permitted or not unless Slappy gets suck into the book," I explained. He also said that you guys betrayed me. But I didn't say that.

Zach then turned over to Stine. "Forget two pages," he said. "The end."

Stine shook his head. "It doesn't work like that."

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, and we heard the principle speaking through the speakers that are above us. "Monsters have overwhelmed Madison High. Retreat in an orderly fashion to the storage room. I repeat, retreat in an orderly fashion to the storage room."

When the principle stopped speaking, we heard everyone screaming to the storage room.

"We'll figure this out later, alright?" Zach spoke.

Stine nodded. "Let's go. Follow me."

Hannah grabbed the papers and Zach closed the typewriter case, holding it by the handle, and we all ran out of the storage room, entering one of the hallways, and Zach held the door open.

"Come on, go!" he yelled. We all ran as plant vines of Venus fly traps burst through the lockers and the walls, jumping over them.

"Ahh!" Hannah tripped and screamed from a plant vine, the Venus fly traps snapping at her.

"Hannah. No." Zach began hitting the plants with the typewriter case, while Stine kicked it away. I, however, stomped on the vines, as we forced them out the door.

"Close it. Close it," I said, and we all slammed the door shut, panting.

And that's when I saw something that I never knew about Hannah. As she laid on the floor, the moonlight shone down on her, making her skin glow blue. Is she what I think she is? I looked at Zach by the time the light went away.

Zach reached down, grabbing her hand, helping her off the floor. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Come with me," Stine said, leading Hannah to the storage room. I then noticed Champ holding hands with a girl that I've never seen. We were about to follow Stine when he stopped us.

"Wait. Wait, she's a..."

"Yes, and I don't care," Zach told him.

We then turned to see the monsters heading towards us down the hallway. "Let's go," I said. We began running to the storage room where everybody was getting in.

"Alright." Zach got to the door as we got closer to the storage room. "Come on, come on, come on. Go, go, go. Shut it. Go!" he yelled, by the time we made it in, slamming the doors shut, with everyone holding them closed.

"Get that door! Get that door!"

"Oh God, oh God."

"Wait. Mom, mom, mom." Zach looked around, then found Gale going up to him, hugging her son. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Are you okay?" Gale returned the same manner.

"What do we do?" Champ panicked. "They're going to get through."

"I don't know! I don't know!" Zach answered over the commotion.

I looked to see Stine staring out at the buses outside. "Slappy wants me..." he said. "That's who he's after..." He turned to the others. "Listen to me, if I can lure them away with one of those buses, I know that they'll follow me and you'll all be safe."

"Then I'm coming with you," Hannah stated.

"No, I need to do this alone," he told her. "I've been running away from people for my whole life, that I created these terrible monsters..."

"Hold that door down."

"...but I'm not mad anymore," he continued. "It's my fault... not this town's... not yours."

"Then there's got to be another way." Tears brimmed into Hannah's eyes, that it made me wanna cry, too.

"Hannah, sweetheart, it's time for me to face my demons..." he reasoned with her.

Champ came up to him. "I believe in you..."

_**"SHUT UP!" **_Stine's harsh yell startled us. "I'm sorry," he apologized, lowering his voice. "I mean, shut up," he said gently.

I looked over then back at the others. "I have an idea," I said.

Everyone listened to what I had to say.


	8. Chapter 8: It's Not Over Yet

**Chapter 8: It's Not Over Yet**

* * *

Stine drove the bus that we got on after I told everyone about my plan. I wasn't sure if it wasn't going to work or not, since this is my first plan that I ever came up with. To me, it was kind of a stupid plan in my own personal opinion.

"Did it work?" Stine asked me.

I shook my head. "Not yet." I crossed my fingers. "Come on. Come on. Work," I muttered.

Just as I thought my plan hadn't worked, there was a loud explosion from the distance. I actually put a dummy in a different bus, setting up a timer and bomb in it, and it turns out one of the monsters pulled the trigger.

"Yes!" Stine held out his hand. "High five," he declared.

"What about your fingers?" I asked, just as Zach was about to give the writer a high five.

Stine thought about it. "Oh yeah, right." He put his hand back on the steering wheel. "But that was a great plan, Hazel," he commented, grinning at me. I, however, didn't return the grin. I just sat there, resting my head on the window.

"It was the only thing I can come up with," I spoke, glancing out the window.

"You still look sad," Champ noted. "Even with that plan you came up with, I thought it was going to make you happy."

"Well, it didn't," I bitterly snapped, making him flinch from his seat. "Nothing makes me happy." I crossed my arms. "I'm sorry," I said, "I guess I'm having a bad night. After my encounter with that dummy, I just want this night to be over with." And to get away from you guys, since Slappy said that you guys betrayed me.

I felt their eyes look at me, and I used my hair as a curtain to hide from them. Then Zach broke the silence. "Where should we go now?" he said. "We need to find a hideout."

"How about the abandoned amusement park?" Hannah suggested.

"Good idea," Stine agreed. "Just tell me where it is, and we can finish the story."

While she told him which way to go, I was deep in my own thoughts, feeling my depression coming over me, clouding my head inside. By the time we stop these monsters, I'm not going to come back to their lives ever again, I vowed silently. I actually don't need friends anyway.

Luckily, since no one can see the other side of my face from my hair, as tear slipped out of my eye, hitting the floor.

* * *

I must've dozed off, because when I woke up, no one else was on the bus. Good thing that I didn't have any nightmares, at least... Getting off the bus, I looked around to see where the others went, walking down the old fair grounds, until I heard Stine's voice over at the Funhouse.

"Stine ingenious plan work to perfection..." I went over to the creepy Funhouse, entering it, where I saw him narrating while Zach did his best to keep up. Hannah was straightening out the pages, while Champ just poked around the room. "The Funhouse was terrifying. Not so much for Stine as it was for the others. And it offered refuge from the rear terrors that lurked outside..." He knelt behind Zach, voicing out the story in an eerie tone to just give the right vibe.

"You wish..." When we all thought it was safe, Slappy appeared in one of the mirrors, making my heart go up to my throat.

"He's found us," Stine gasped. "Quick, follow me." They were about to leave when Slappy appeared again.

"Papa, you left without saying goodbye..." he rasped. He disappeared again, before showing himself at another mirror. "Trying to hide from me? That's like hiding from yourself..." Another mirror. "...I was your _best_ friend, and you turn your back on me..." His voice sounded hurt and angry. "Locked me up, imprisoned in a pages of a _book_..." A bunch of his reflections shown on each mirror, his voice echoing in the room. "...you put me on a shelf for years and years. The key was right there..." All of his reflections vanished, and he showed half his face in the mirror that Stine is standing in front of. "...and you never used it." His brow lowered as he gave the writer an angry look, reminding of me back when I was a young kid...

"You're not real, Slappy," Stine stated. "I created you..." He pointed. "I can write you out..."

Slappy suddenly appeared, holding a book in one hand with the key in the other. "I've been saving this monster just for you. Say hello to my..."

I grabbed the book and the key.

"Hazel!" Stine cried out, surprised to see me.

"Go! Run!" I cried. "Finish the book!" I ran out of the Funhouse.

"Give those back to me, you brat!" I turned my head to see Slappy behind me. My legs burned and my chest act, but I kept on going. I didn't stop 'til I was all out of breath, leaning against one of the trees.

Just as I was about to move again, Slappy was standing in front of me.

"Ahh!" I let out a yelp, dropping both the key and the book. I went to grab it, but Slappy got it first, having me land on the dirt face first.

"Haha! You thought you can get away from me by taking these items?" he provoked. "Well, too bad for you, kid. Papa is going to be gone for good!" His eyes glared into mine. "Even those other bratty kids that betrayed you," he sneered.

I scrambled up to my feet, seeing Slappy running back to the funhouse. I brushed the dirt off my pants, and began to go after him.

By the time I got back to the Funhouse, I saw Slappy unlocking the book, and something pink and large and liquidity came out of the book, and I saw the others run out of the small creepy building.

"It's _The Blob That Ate Everyone_," Stine declared by the time they got out of the Funhouse. "Don't let it touch you," he warned. "We need to get to higher ground."

Hannah pointed. "The Ferris wheel," she proclaimed, and we all ran to the Ferris wheel. I stopped, seeing out large the wheel was. Even looking up made me dizzy...

"Zach." I turned to see Stine going up to the boy. "You go on ahead. I'll hold it off. You finish the book," he told him, looking at the Blob monster at it was eating everything in its path.

Zach, however, wasn't so sure about the idea. "What?" he questioned. "What do I write? W-What's the end?"

"The story I've been writing. It's what's happening right now. You can do this..." Stine backed away. "End it," he urged, then spotted me. "Hazel, go up there with the others," he ordered me.

"I can't," I protested. "I don't like heights."

"Then get away as far as possible."

"But-"

"Go."

"But Stine-"

"_Go!_" he forced out.

I had no choice, but to get away. I turned and ran to the nearest tree and hid behind it, watching. I saw him go up to the Blob monster as it devoured him, along with Hannah screaming. "Dad!"

I heard Zach telling her something, only I didn't pay any attention. I saw Slappy walked up to Stine who poked his head out of the pink goo. "Not so fun... is it?" he taunted. "How do you like it, papa? The world is just outside your grasp, but you can't move. You're _trapped_. That's what it felt like to be locked inside your books." He then stopped, and saw that Stine doesn't have the book. "Wait... the book. Where is it?" he asked out loud.

Suddenly, we heard a snap. All three of us turned to see that the praying mantis broke the Ferris wheel, and we all saw it rolling down the hills.

"We're all gonna die!" I heard Champ cried out.

"Just hold on!" I also heard Zach as everyone screamed. "Hold on tight!" My mouth made a small gape, seeing the wheel flying and rolling in the air, landing on the ground and continued rolling.

I then heard Champ yell, "Where's the seatbelt on this thing?!"

The sound of rolling stopped.

As I stood up, I felt a pair of large hands grab me from behind. "Hey!" I yelped, yanking free to see Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage.

"Look who we found," Purple Rage mused, chuckling.

"Back off." I picked up a rock, ready to throw it at them.

"Oh, I'm so scared," Maniac mocked, doing his insane laugh that he has. And that's when I threw the rock right on his forehead. "Ow!" he cried out. From his stance, I jumped on him, tackling him to the ground, punching his face. "Hey, get her off me!"

"Get off him!" Purple Rage grabbed my shoulders, but I smacked him away, and kept punching Maniac, wanting to cause as much damage to his face. I was in rage, and all I saw was red. My anger build up inside me, my depression leaving from my head and chest.

Suddenly, I fell off, landing on the ground on my back. At first, I thought it was Purple Rage that flung me off of him. But no, I saw a light burst up to the sky, and they were floating, turning back to ink when I felt a strong current of wind.

I got up and ran to where Stine is, seeing the Blob monster spit him out. He grabbed his glasses, flicking the goo off the lenses, and saw me. "Hazel." He came over to me, putting his glasses on his face. "Hazel, are you alright?"

"...yeah..." I answered, then look up to see the praying mantis. I knew all the monsters were going back into the book. That is, until I felt wooden hands on my throat, strangling me.

"Remember kid, you're friends betrayed you," he whispered in my ear, where Stine couldn't hear. "Just like papa did to me..."

"Let go of her!" Stine grabbed the dummy off of me. I fell on the ground.

"No!" the puppet declared. "Slappy's not happy!"

"Neither is Stine!" the writer proclaimed. "Stupid..." He held Slappy's wrists, lowering him. "...dummy!" He dropped kicked him, sending him back into the book.

Slappy's last words that I heard was, "See you in your dreams!"

By then, the wind died down. I got up off the ground, brushing the dirt off the back of my shirt. I saw Stine jogging over to where the strong wind current took place, as well as the blue light.

I ran to where the others are, but... I didn't see Hannah.

"Zach...?" I went up to him. "...where's Hannah?"

"Trapped," he replied in a verge of tears. "In a book..."

"Come on, let's go home," Stine said gently. He began to walk away with the boys, then he stopped and turned. "Aren't you coming, Hazel?" he asked.

I stepped back. "I know where I live," I told him. "I can go home by myself..."

"...okay," he responded.

I waited for them to leave, then I made my way back to my house.

* * *

By the time I got back home, I slammed the door shut, kicking my shoes off, going up to my room, entering it. I went over to my bed, and got under the covers, resting my head on the single pillow that I had.

I stared at the empty wall that is bare white, closing my eyes, waiting for sleep to come.

I don't want to see those people ever again. Slappy was right, and so was I. I'll never have friends. I'm worthless. In fact, I'm useless... I'll never have friends...

A tear escaped my eye, rolling down my cheek, landing on the mattress...

* * *

Its been a few weeks later, and I had decided to check on the school. I don't know why, though, but I just... feel like it.

By the time I got there, I saw Zach walk out of the building with a girl that I recognized.

Hannah...

I ran up to them, and they saw me. Zach grinned. "Hey, Hazel," he greeted. "Look who's back."

"I can see that..." I said confused. "I thought she was trapped inside a book with the other monsters..."

"Well, Stine wrote one more book, and well, here she is." His smile didn't leave his face.

"That's good..." I nodded slowly. "I was going to see how the school is doing, but..." I looked at the people who were putting fresh coat of paint on the building. "...it seems like it's doing great..." I turned and began leaving, but Hannah got in front of me, a sad look on her face.

"Why are you leaving...?" she asked. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

I looked away. "It's not because of you, Hannah. It's just..." I sighed, still looking away.

It was silent for a moment, until Zach said, "What is it?" He too, walked up in front of me, taking Hannah's hand.

Remembering what Slappy had said to me, I looked at them. "It's nothing, guys... I can see you two having a happy life..." I looked away again. "...I don't wanna ruin it..."

"But..." was all I heard from Hannah as I left to go back to my house.

By the time I got back home, I laid upstairs in my bed. I felt fatigued, as if I hadn't slept in days.

I shut my eyes, and went to sleep.

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

When I saw the two walk out of the door holding hands, I picked up my briefcase, heading down the hallway. And as I walked, I thought about Hazel. I remember her going to tell me about her childhood, only to be interrupted by Zach when all of us were running away from those ghouls at the graveyard. I asked her if she had foster parents...

I sighed. I can try asking her again someday when I see her.

Just as I walked past the display case where my typewriter is, I heard a clack of a key, making me stop. I backed up, and peered at the typewriter.

_T...H...E...I...N...V..._

I kept watching as each word hit the paper, watching the typewriter type on its own.

_I...S...I...B...L...E..._

My eyes widen. This can't be...

_B...O...Y...'S..._

No...

_R...E...V...E...N...G..._

My mouth dropped open as the last letter hit the paper. The letter _E_. And I read the title.

_The Invisible Boy's Revenge_...

"You forgot about me..." Hand prints planted onto the glass as I heard a voice giggle.

I let out a terrified yell.


	9. Chapter 9: Into Horrorland

**Chapter 9: Into Horrorland**

* * *

I woke up the next morning, feeling something that isn't right. So getting out of bed, I made my way to my dresser draw, and took out some fresh clothes, heading to the bathroom. I turned on the shower, and showered myself awake. I dried myself and got dressed, before walking out of the bathroom, my wet hair that still has water on it, dripping onto the floor.

Entering the kitchen, I took out my fifty dollars, getting ready to go grocery shopping when I heard a knock at my door. I set my money on the counter, heading to the front door, wondering who could it be. No one has ever came to my house ever since I found this place.

I fingered comb my hair as I grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open.

"Hannah...?" I reacted, surprise to see her standing there on the porch. I stepped out of my house. "What are you doing here? I never told you where I live," I said, closing the front door behind me.

Hannah giggled. "Let's just say that I had a hunch," she replied with a bright smile. "So... what are you doing this morning?" she asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing... Except I need to do some grocery shopping. My fridge is almost empty, and I don't have anything to eat this morning," I answered, looping my hair around my index finger, noticing something, or someone, is missing. "Where's Zach?"

"Oh, he's over at my place," Hannah told me, still smiling. "My dad let me invite some friends over for breakfast. Would you like to come?" Her smile didn't leave her face.

I thought about it for a while. "...sure. Just let me get my shoes on." I walked into the house. I slip on my shoes, tying the laces, getting them tight so my shoes won't fall off. However, I still feel like something isn't right... like... something is still roaming around the neighborhood. Something that is... annoying.

Shaking the feeling away, I stepped out of the house, shutting the front door again. "Let's go..." I said softly.

"Great!" Hannah beamed. She walked off the porch and I went with her.

While I kept thinking about that something is off, I heard Slappy's voice in my head.

_You're friends betrayed you... just like papa did to me..._

When I heard those words, a question came into my mind. If my friends _did _betrayed me, then why did Hannah invite me to her house like I'm doing now? I then remembered something else. I was supposed to leave them right after the monster invasion. I sighed. Oh well, I'll leave them someday. I don't know when, though... For now, I'll hang out with my 'friends' and see what will happen...

"Hazel?"

"Huh?" I looked over at Hannah. "Yeah?" I questioned.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem to be... I don't know... out of it."

I shook my head. "Oh. No... no. I was just...thinking..."

"About what?" she said.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I feel like something, or someone, is still roaming around town... Like... we forgot one of the monsters..."

"What do you mean? We got every monster."

"...I don't know. Maybe I'm not thinking straight."

Hannah laughed. "You probably need something to eat." She grabbed my hand, and I flinched. "Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, letting my hand drop to my side. "I forget that you don't like physical contact."

"It's fine..." I sighed as we continued on our way to her house.

"Is there a reason why you don't like to be touched?" Hannah replied.

Her question hit me like a rock on my chest. "Um... Uh... It's a long story. It's from my childhood."

"Mind if you tell me?"

I shook my head. "I had mentioned that I would tell my story someday when I'm ready. In fact, when we were at the graveyard, Stine asked me if I could tell it to him, asking me if I had foster parents since, well, I don't have real parents anymore. And just when I was about to tell him, we were being chased by ghouls at that place..." I kicked a piece of sidewalk out of my way. "...like I said, it's a long story."

"Hey, you can tell about your childhood when ever you want," Hannah accepted, then sighed. "I wish you could smile..."

"And that's never gonna happen," I responded. "I used to be a happy, happy person until what happened to me..." I kicked another broken piece of the sidewalk. "Can we change the subject?" I asked. "Are you and Zach now... dating?"

I can feel her grin next to me. "Yep, and so is my dad."

"Stine is dating, too?" I said. "Who is he dating?"

"Lorraine," she simply answered. "He's also the new English teacher at the high school, and I just started school ever since he took that job."

"Have you ever been to school?"

She shook her head. "I've been homeschooled my whole life," she explained. "Ever since my dad created-" She stopped. "Oh... I'm not sure if you knew this or not, but I was a..."

"Ghost?" I finished for her. "I saw it when we were heading to the storage room... You glowing this ghostly blue. Are you... still a ghost?" I asked hesitantly, as if I was offending her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked..."

"That's okay. My dad wrote me back where I can now age with Zach and my friends, like Taylor, Champ, and you."

"Who's Taylor?" I asked.

"Champ's new girlfriend," Hannah replied. "Her other boyfriend abandoned her when the werewolf got to them, and he, well... He ran off like a... coward. So Champ saved her."

I nodded. "That's nice of him..."

"Speaking of school," Hannah brought up. "We haven't seen _you_ at school at all. Do you go to school?"

I gritted my teeth a little, letting out a breath out of my nose. "I used to go to school... Then I quit," I told her.

"Why?" she questioned.

"Long story," I simply responded, my mind flashing back to the days of school.

When we got to her place, she let me inside the house. "My dad knows it's you," she said, leading me to the dining room, where I saw everyone sitting down with plates of breakfast food in front of them. "Hey, guys," Hannah greeted, taking me over to the table. "I brought Hazel over, dad," she said to Stine.

Stine grinned. "Hello, Hazel," he greeted warmly. "Would you like to join us? I made blueberry pancakes. That is... if you like blueberry pancakes."

"I do..." I said, spotting an empty seat next to him that is across the table from Champ. "Um... thanks for inviting me," I added as I sat down. "It was... very nice of you to do that."

"You're welcome," Stine smiled.

"Hannah told me that you and Lorraine are dating. Just like Zach and Hannah, as well as Champ and Taylor." I picked up my fork when I look up to see Champ's girlfriend smiling at me. "Are you Taylor?" I asked.

"That's right," she gleamed. "My friends and my boyfriend told me about you on how you helped save the town from the monsters."

"I didn't help that much..." I put a piece of pancake in my mouth, chewed, and swallowed. "All I did was told everyone about my plan, as well as defended everyone from the Sadler ghosts. I even tried to stop Slappy from opening the other books... but he ended up biting me."

"Oh, my gosh," she gasped. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm... I'm fine," I reassured her.

"Are the words still on you?" Stine asked in a serious manner mixed with concern.

I shrugged. "I haven't checked... I think the words are not there anymore."

"You know," Taylor spoke up. "Even though this the first time I've met you, I never seen you... happy."

"Taylor," Champ said. "Don't offend her."

"It's okay. I used to be happy until what happened to me," I said, not offended at all.

"What happened?" she asked.

"...I don't want to talk about it. At least when I'm ready." I also want to know if you guys are really are my friends... But I didn't say that last part as I finished eating. "I'm going to put this in the dishwasher," I offered, getting up from the table, heading to the kitchen.

As I put my plate and fork in the dishwasher, I still had that strange feeling that something isn't right. Not only do I feel like we missed a monster, but I got the feeling of something... else. And I'm not sure what it is.

I walked back into the dining room and sat back down at my seat, putting my cheek on my hand, and Zach seemed to notice my behavior. "Is something wrong, Hazel?" he asked.

"Nothing. I'm just... thinking," I answered. "I feel like we forgot one of the monsters..."

Champ nodded. "I had that same feeling. Not only that, did any of you see any of the Horrors from one of the _Goosebumps _books?" he said.

Zach raised a brow. "Not that I know of..." he spoke, finishing his plate. "And what do you mean that we forgot about one of the monsters?" he directed towards me. "We got every monster in town when I finished the book." He kept his brow up then lowered it. "I swear that we got every monster..." he mused in thought.

"Actually, Hazel is right to have that feeling," Stine suddenly spoke up. "I... did forgot about one monster. One annoying one, to be exact." He took a deep breath, letting it out. "As I was walking down the school hallway, I saw my typewriter... typing. On it's own. It spelled out T-H-E-I-N-I-S-I-B-L-E-B-O-Y-'S-R-E-V-E-N-G-E. _The Invisible Boy's Revenge_..." he said in a mysterious voice. "And when you mention the book that has the Horrors is that...well... it wasn't on the shelf..."

"What do you mean?" Champ squeaked. "I thought that Slappy had that book along with the others."

"Champ..." Stine started.

But the boy kept on talking. "Maybe it was on the shelf, and Slappy unlocked it somewhere else..."

"Champ-"

"And if he did that means that the Horrors are still roaming-"

"_Champion!_ I will hot glue your lips together if you don't let me finish!" Stine threatened, getting the kid to be quiet. "Like I said, it wasn't on the shelf because it had already been unlocked. And not from Slappy, from me." He pointed at himself. "I wanted to make something else besides monsters," he began to tell his story. "The Horrors are from the book titled _One Day At Horrorland_. Or as I like to call it... _A Scream Park_. It was back in February of nineteen ninety-four... I wanted to make something more than just monsters...

'This seems like a perfect spot,' I said as I walked right out of the woods, the book in my hand, the key in the other. 'I can unlock my book here, and see what happens.'

"...I just only wanted to see what would happen if I made something more than just monsters," Stine continued his story. "I unlock the book... and it happened...

The book flew out of my hands, landing on the ground of the large, very large, empty fields that is all dirt with bits of plants on the ground. I watched as all the terrifying rides like _The Tunnel Of Screams_, _The Doom Slide_, _The House Of Mirrors_, everything. Including the furry green monsters called Horrors that came out of the book.

All was going fine until they turned to me. 'Hey, who are you?' one of them gruffed at me.

'I'm R.L. Stine,' I answered. 'And if you're wondering, I'd only did this so I know what would happen if I made more than just monsters.'

'Oh, is that all?' the Horror asked, rubbing one of his horns. 'Well, thanks for letting us free. All of us Horrors can run the park and scare the life out of humans.' He chuckled deep in his throat.

'Actually...' I rubbed the back of my head. 'I just only wanted to see if I can make more than just monsters... I'm not letting you guys free, just to see what happens,' I explained. I went to grab for the book, but one of the Horrors took it away. 'Hey!' I exclaimed.

'So you only let us out just to see what would happen!?' the largest Horror roared, anger burning in his eyes. 'We're not going back in...'

'Yes, you are!' I proclaimed. 'Give me that book!' I jumped for it, but the Horror who is bigger than any other of the other ones, pushed me onto the ground.

'We're not going back in,' he repeated with a snarl. 'We're going to run this park forever, and you will never lock us up again.'

I got up off the ground, seeing the Horrors running to the gates with the book in one of their hands. 'Wait!' I called out, running to catch them and the book. I stopped when they disappeared out of sight. Even the rides. How is that possible? 'I will get you,' I vowed, grabbing the key off the dirt floor. I then turned, and headed for home.

"And that's how it all started," Stine finished his story, putting his glass of apple juice on the table. "I only wanted to see what would happen, and when I told the Horrors what I was doing, they got mad and ran off with the book. And somehow they were gone, including everything. I don't know how, though, but I believe they moved the park further down the woods."

"Do you think the Invisible Boy is there?" Hannah asked.

"I believe so," he nodded, getting up from the table. "He left when I tried to stop him. At least he didn't take the typewriter."

"So... we have to go Horrorland?" I said, getting up from my seat. "To stop the Boy and the Horrors?"

"That's right. We'll do it tonight," he confirmed.

"Why not open the book that you wrote that we captured the monsters with?" Champ suggested, not liking the idea of going to Horrorland.

Zack blinked at him. "And release Slappy and all of the other monsters?" he said. "Get real, Champ. That idea that you came up is pretty stupid."

Champ slumped in his seat. "I just don't wanna go to Horrorland. It's a terrifying place..." he whimpered. Taylor rubbed his shoulder.

"Well, we can't just sit here and let that Boy do his thing," I declared, slamming my hands on the table. "We are not letting those monsters get away. We stopped Slappy, and now we have to stop the Invisible Boy before he causes trouble... Unless he did."

"Hazel's got a point," Stine agreed. "Come on, let's stop that menace and get that book back, as well. When we find the book, I can trap the Horrors. And if I'm lucky, the Boy will get trapped in that same book, even if he wasn't in the book at all."

"Wait, so we are going?" Zach asked.

Stine nodded. "Yes," he answered. "We're going..." He leaned forward. "Tonight."

"If you don't mind, I would rather not go," Taylor declined. She got up and gave Champ a kiss. "Good luck stopping the monsters," she said in a hopeful tone of voice.

His face turned pink. "Thanks. I need it," he replied back.

Taylor said goodbye and left the house. I, however, told everyone that I had to do something first. "In case we're there all night, I need to bring stuff for us to survive," I said. "Then I'll meet you guys here."

"Okay. We'll see you later tonight, best friend," Hannah responded.

I stopped when I heard her say 'best friend'. "See you later..." I replied as I couldn't believe what she said to me. Best friend? Nah. No one is my friend nor my _best_ friend. But... why am I hanging out with them? I guess I wanted to make them feel... happy. I did a small sigh. Maybe when we stop the Horrors and the Invisible Boy, that's when I'll leave them. Besides, Slappy said that they betrayed me... Just like the kids back in school before I quit years ago.

I walked out of the house to my house, so I can get everything ready.

* * *

Later that night, I slipped on my old backpack since I had as a small child. My school bag to be exact that I had since when I used to go to school. I walked out the door, heading over to Stine's place just like I promised.

My shoes echoed with each step I took on the sidewalk. I can hear my own voice talking to me. However, I did my best to ignore it. Only it wasn't that easy when I began to hear that evil dummy's voice replacing that other voice that I always hear.

_Papa and your friends betrayed you... just like he did to me..._

I shook his voice out my mind, telling my own self that he only said that to make me feel bad... But like I mentioned, when we stop these monsters, I'm just going to leave my 'friends' forever.

And I hope we get that pesky Invisible Boy.

And that's a promise to myself.

* * *

When I arrived at Stine's house, everyone was waiting for me. Seeing them made me do a soft sigh. I walked to them, feeling my sadness and depression sink into me like it always does.

"Ready?" Stine asked once I got over there, trying my best not to let anyone see how sad or hopeless I look. We all nodded. "Let's go. Since I don't have a car anymore, we're just going to have to walk to get to Horrorland."

"Can't you just get a new car?" Champ whined. "I don't wanna walk to that creepy amusement park."

"I would, but I won't get a new car in several months," the writer answered, ignoring Champ's whiney voice. "We're walking there, and we're going to find that book so I can trap the Horrors, get the rides, and maybe the Invisible Boy who's a menace," he slightly griped. "Now let's get moving. The sooner we find the book, the sooner I'll trap the Horrors and the Boy."

And the sooner that I can leave you guys, I thought as we all began to follow Stine.

As we walked, Zach asked me something. "What did you pack?"

"Things we need in case we're going to be there all night," I replied, not feeling very confident for no apparent reason, and he seemed to notice my mood.

"Is something wrong...?" he asked.

Yes, there is something wrong. Slappy says that you guys betrayed me, meaning that you're only pretending to be my friends. I wanted to say that, but I gave him this answer instead. "I just want to get this over with."

"So do we," he chuckled, taking Hannah's hand once we got into the woods. I heard Champ mumbling to himself who's behind us. Zach looked behind him, seeing how slow his best friend is. "Champ, let's go, dude," he rushed.

"I'm going to head back," he said, stopping. "I'm not going to that place. It's scary."

"Champ, come on," Hannah urged as all three of us stopped. "You _have _to come with us," she insisted, letting go of her boyfriend's hand, walking up to the awkward teen. "I don't think Horrorland is that bad."

"You'll be surprised," he scoffed, crossing his arms. "I'm staying right here. Besides, I'll only slow you guys down anyway," he added. However, Zach grabbed his arm, and we started walking again, catching up with Stine. "Dude, let go." Champ tried to break free. "Dude, I'm serious. I don't want to go to that place. Have you read the book?" But Zach didn't let go, he just kept his grip on Champ's arm. "Dude, I said let go." Champ yanked his arm free, making us stop again. Including Stine. "I don't want to go," he said.

"Is this a fear thing?" Zach asked him. "Because all of us are scared to go to this... scary park."

I looked over at Stine. He was tapping his foot impatiently. I looked over at Champ. "Just come on," I said.

Champ sighed. "...fine," he mumbled.

We continued our way to Horrorland. "How do we know if we're close to Horrorland or not?" I questioned as we got deeper and deeper into the woods. An owl hooted, making Champ yelp.

"I don't wanna walk anymore," he complained. "I don't know how much more walking I can take... I wanna go home in my bed where it's safe."

"You're acting like a baby," I insulted. He gave me a hurt look. "Sorry, but you are acting like one," I said.

"Hazel, you don't understand. I'm weak all the time. I can only do so much. Even walking makes my legs hurt," he kept on complaining. "My gym grades aren't that good, and next year I have to retake that class because of it."

"Is that why you didn't land perfectly when we jumped over the fence to see if Hannah is alright or not?" Zach joked.

"...not funny..." Champ muttered with slight anger.

That's when we saw a sign that read: _**Horrorland... Only fifteen miles away!**_ Champ turned around when he saw the sign, and Zach grabbed his arm again. "I have no choice, do I?" he said to himself as Zach forced him in front of us, only for him to stop.

"Come on, dude." Zach was now getting impatient. "It's only fifteen miles away," he told him.

"I'm going home," Champ exclaimed, refusing to go any further. "I don't want to slow guys down." We then saw Stine walked over to us, grabbing Champ by the ear. "Hey-!" Stine ignored him as he pulled him down the path, not letting go of his ear, keeping a tight grip. "Ow! Stine!"

"Hazel says we need to stop these creeps," Stine hissed harshly. "We're not getting out of this mess once I find that book and suck those monsters and everything. We're in this together, kid."

While Stine kept a good grip on the teen's ear, we kept on moving. I actually can't wait to get this over with... Then I'll leave these people alone. Besides... I'm... worthless. As well as nothing and useless... I shifted my backpack, feeling the weight of it, reminding me of the stuff I pact for this 'trip'.

_"Get out of my face, you make me sick!"_

I gasp, jumping back when I saw a vision of my flashback came to me that made my heart go up to my throat. But... how can that be? I only get that when I have nightmares from my past childhood.

_"Come on, ugly girl! Do something!"_

Another one... the day where I stopped and quit school...

_"You're useless."_

I put my hands on my head, the memories flooding back to me, clenching my eyes shut.

_"No one wants to be your friend. Besides, who wants to be your friend? Oh, that's right. Nobody."_

What's happening to me...? These are the memories that I try to get away from...

"Are you alright, Hazel?" I jumped when Hannah approached me as I lowered my hands to my sides. "Are you alright?" she repeated, her eyes giving me a worried look.

I sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. "Y-Yeah..." I answered slowly. "I'm... fine. I just had... flashbacks..."

"...about what?" she asked, her eyes still filled with concern.

"About-" I suddenly stopped, now thinking that she may not believe me. "...it's nothing," I sighed, shaking my head.

"Are you sure...?" she questioned.

"I'm fine," I insisted. "Now come on, we have to catch up with the others before your dad gets mad at us."

Hannah nodded. "Okay." She turned, gazed at me, and started jogging. I jogged right after her. Her concerned look never left her face right before she went up to catch up with the others.

"There it is..." Stine let go of Champ's ear, who began to rub the pain away, which was red and looks pretty swore. I had a lot more pain then having my ear being pulled. "Horrorland," he breathed out.

I look up at the sign that read: _**Welcome To Horrorland- Where Nightmares Come To Life!**_

We're here... At Horrorland.

Stine went over to the gates, opening them. "Let's go," he said. We walked in, but Champ stayed in his spot. Stine glared at the boy. "Don't make me pull you by the ear again, kid," Stine warned in a threatening tone, sounding like someone that I know. Champ whimpered, walking through the gates that is held open. When Stine released the gates, they slammed shut.

We all looked around. It sent a chill down my spine. I heard Champ swallow. "This is scarier then the book cover..." he whimpered. He then screamed when another owl made a hoot sound, which shocked me.

"Is that your scream?" I said.

"Don't judge me," Champ replied. "Guys, I want to go home," he begged. He turned to the gates, grabbing them. "Hey, they won't open!" he cried, freaking out, tugging at the gates.

"They _do _open." Stine walked over to him, pulling him away from the gates. "But we're not leaving until I find that book and trap the monsters in it. And I hope I get that Invisible Boy," he said. "Try to be brave when you fought that werewolf to defend your new girlfriend." He grabbed Champ by the front of his shirt, pulling him away from the entrance as we followed him.

"Oh yeah, this me being brave," Champ started to complain. "Being dragged into a park full of scary rides. Roller coasters and everything. I wanna be in my bed, and-"

"Will you stop it!?" Zach snapped, which made Champ shut up for now, making him whimper.

All Champ could muster out was, "Sorry."

"Wait," I spoke, and everyone stopped. "How do we know where the Boy is? He's invisible."

"She has a point," Hannah agreed.

"Well..." Stine began. "If you feel breathing or see any of the Horrors talking to someone that isn't there... that means it's the Invisible Boy."

"Speaking of Horrors..." Zach pointed behind Stine, and we all saw a green fury Horror with short yellow horns coming at us. Champ yelped in fear, hiding behind Stine for protection.

"Welcome to Horrorland!" the Horror greeted in a gruff like voice. "Where nightmares come to life! Would you like to try our games or our rides? We have lots of scares that can make you get _goosebumps_."

"Please don't say that word..." Champ shivered from behind Stine. "I don't even wanna _think_ about goosebumps."

Stine stepped forward. "We're not here to have fun in this terrifying amusement park," he proclaimed. "I'm here for that book. The one that you stole from me. And when we find it, I'm putting you all monsters and everything, including the Boy. Even if he wasn't in that book that I release you monsters from."

The Horror's yellow eyes flashed. "We're not going back in the book..." he snarled, "because the Invisible Boy knew you were coming..." He leaned forward. "...and he has a challenge for you."

"What challenge?" Zach stepped forward and asked.

"Where's the Boy?" Hannah demanded.

The Horror let out a growly laugh. I picked up a rock off the ground, hitting him on the chest with it. "Hey!" he yelled, rubbing his chest, glaring at me. "Why'd you do that?" he exclaimed.

"To get you to shut the hell up," I talked back, swearing a bit. "Tell us where the Boy is, and what challenge he has for us."

"Oh, you have to see him to find out..." the Horror sneered. That's when several more Horrors came, grabbing us. I did my best to break free from physical contact, only they were too strong. "Let's take them to the Invisible Boy," he declared. The Horrors dragged us to a small building, throwing us into a room that barely has stuff in it. "Here they are, sir," the Horror said to no one that isn't there. "Stine and his friends are here... the ones that trapped all the monsters in the book and forgot about you."

A giggle came in front of us by the wall. "Thank you, Byron," a minion like voice spoke which, again, is in front of us. We heard footsteps coming over to us. "It's so nice to see you again..." The footsteps stopped. "...father..."

"Nice to see you again, Boy," Stine greeted with sarcasm. "I- Wait, where are you?" he asked.

"I'm in front of you," the Boy answered in a dull voice. He let out another giggle. "You know... it was pretty funny where I ended up pulling the stupid kid's tie in the car."

"You nearly pulled me out of the window!" Champ cried out.

"And it wasn't funny, either," I added.

"Aw boo-hoo-hoo," he mocked. "I knew you guys would come here..."

"The Horror, which you call Byron, told us," Hannah said. "And you have a challenge for us, is that right?"

"That's right..." Even though we couldn't see him, we can tell that he was smiling.

"We don't need a challenge," Stine spoke up. "Tell me where the book is so I can trap _all _of you in it."

"And why would I tell you?" the Boy questioned. "The challenge is for how long you can survive here. If you guys win, all of the Horrors, the rides, everything, including me will go into the book. But if you lose, you'll have to stay in this park... _forever_. Hahaha!" he laughed.

"That's it?" I asked. "That's the whole challenge? Just to see if we won't die in this park?"

"Well... no," he answered. "You also have to go on some... rides," he grinned.

Champ gulped. "Rides?"

"Just a few of them," the Boy said. "You can go on any ride you want. But all of you have to go on them. Got it?"

"Do we have a choice?" Champ mumbled, not liking the idea at all. There was no answer. "Hello?" he called out. Still no answer. "Hey, where's that invisible monster?"

"He left," Zach said. "That's... creepy. It's like he... vanished. Well, he is invisible..." Zach looked over at Stine. "I can't believe you created him."

"I can't believe we have to do this challenge," Stine replied back. "In fact, as we're doing this challenge, we can also look for the book..."

"I don't wanna go on any rides!" Champ whined. "I hate rides! Even kiddie ones!"

"How are you afraid of kiddie rides?" I asked.

"Don't judge me," he repeated from earlier. Then he looked at Stine. "Don't make me go on any rides," he pleaded. "I remember when I was six, being on a carousel, thinking, 'My life is over'." He waved his arms dramatically like he did back in Stine's basement of his house.

Stine grabbed him by the front of his shirt again. "We have no choice, Champion," he seethed through his teeth, saying the kid's full name. "As we're doing the challenge, maybe we can find that book. Got it?"

"Y-Yes, sir," Champ stuttered and Stine let go of him.

"Come on, we don't have time to waste. We need to pass this challenge to see if we can survive this place." Stine walked over to the door, holding it open for us, waiting.

We all walked out of the door, ready for the challenge. "Now," Stine began. "To the first ride." He began walking, with us right behind him. Zach and Hannah had to grab Champ by his arms, while I was right behind Stine, forcing him to walk with us.

The challenge has just begun. And another thing...

Will we survive all night at this park? Well, soon enough, we found out.


	10. Chapter 10: Mirrors And Slides

**Chapter 10: Mirrors And Slides**

* * *

Walking down the creepy park, we followed Stine down the path. I heard creepy music being played all around us, which didn't help Champ at all. I kicked a rock, which bounced over to him, hitting his leg, making him yelp out. "Sorry," I said in a sad tone, my depression getting deeper inside of me. Then it went away, but I held the same frown on my face that I have every twenty four hours a day. I wasn't afraid of this amusement park, I was afraid to have flashbacks from my childhood come at me again...

Also, I did want to tell them about my pass, but... I decided to change my mind... I mean, I know I did say that I'll tell them someday when I'm ready, and I almost _did_ tell Stine when we were at the graveyard, until we were being chased by ghouls.

_"Get out of my face, you make me sick!"_

I jumped again, stopping for a second.

_"I said, GET OUT!"_

I shook my head hard, when my childhood memories flooded back in my mind, before going away. I let out a relieved breath, then caught up with the others, not far from me.

And also, as I caught up with them, I still don't know why that happened. Like I stated before, I only get those memories from my nightmares.

Luckily, they went away. Just like that. So I shrugged it off, like it was nothing, and continued with my 'friends'.

_"No one wants to be your friend. Besides, who wants to be your friend? Oh, that's right. Nobody."_

I slowed down a bit, but kept up with the group.

_"Come on, ugly girl! Do something!"_

_"You're useless."_

I grabbed my hair, pulling at it, waiting for the memories to go away. Why are they coming back all of the sudden? I don't think anything is wrong with me... Or is there?

I released my hair, letting my hands drop to my sides. Maybe I'm just crazy. If I say anything about this to my so called 'friends', they won't believe me. Which is why I promise to leave them after we get this challenge over with.

"Which ride are we going on first?" I suddenly asked, breaking the silence, startling Champ again. "Sorry," I directed towards him, and he returned with a nod. I caught up with Stine. "So which ride are we going on?" I repeated the question.

"_The House Of Mirrors_," he answered, gazing straight ahead.

I raised a brow. "Is that even a ride?"

"Well... no. But it is scary," he clarified. "All we have to do is find our way out of it... However, something does happen."

"...like what?" I replied.

He didn't say anything at first. "You'll see," he said.

"Can I skip this one?" Champ said in a scared voice. "I can _never_ find my way out of _The House Of Mirrors_. At all. Heck, I can't even find my own way out of my _shirt_." He grabbed Stine by the sleeve. "Don't make me go in it," he started to beg, acting like a four year old who is at a doctor's office who doesn't want to have a vaccine. "You guys go on ahead, I'll wait outside for you guys. Just don't let me go in that thing. I read the book, it's terrifying!"

Stine yanked his arm free. "We all have to do it, Champ," he said. "It's part of the challenge. Plus, as we're walking through it, we might find the book in there."

"Well, I'm not doing it. I'm going home." Champ started to walk to the opposite way, only for Zach to grab him by his shirt collar from the front side. "This is the worst night of my life..." he wailed as Zach continued to pull him.

"What if the book isn't in _The House Of Mirrors_, dad?" Hannah questioned her father.

"Then we'll have to look for it somewhere else," Stine shrugged. "Oh, look at that," he slightly grinned. "We're here."

"And I'm out." Champ went to run away, but Stine quickly grabbed the boy by the ear, hauling him into _The House Of Mirrors_, with us right behind him.

When we stepped in, all I saw was mirrors. Just... mirrors. Okay, then. "So... we just have to find our way out?" I said.

"That's right," Stine nodded. "But like I mention, something does happen. The only thing is, I don't know _when _it's gonna happen."

"Oh great." Zach rolled his eyes. "Okay, while we look for our way out, let's see if we can find the book," he stated, taking Hannah's hand again, walking down the halls. We followed. Except Stine had to keep ahold of Champ's ear so he doesn't run out of the small building.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow," Champ kept on repeating, his ear becoming red again. "Stine, let go of my ear." Then he added, "I won't run out, I promise." So Stine let him free, and he rubbed his ear again, getting rid of the soreness as much as he could. "I think my ear is on fire," he complained, still rubbing it.

I let out a very soft sigh so no one else would hear it. Like I stated before, I had a lot more pain then having my ear pulled... As we walked down the halls full of mirrors, we didn't find the book. So we tried to find our way out, and ended up in a room which, again, is full of mirrors. Just mirrors. Only mirrors. "Um..." I spoke, "how are we gonna find our way out?"

"Um..." was all Stine can give me. "I think we go... this way? No... I think it's..."

"Don't say that we are lost..." Champ started to whine, fear creeping into his voice. "Hey!" he cried out, suddenly falling over. "That mirror pushed me. I swear!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly, the lights cut out, blinding us into darkness. "I can't see!" I heard Champ squeal. I can feel him behind me.

"What's happening?!" I heard Hannah cry out. I bet she was squeezing her boyfriend's hand very tightly.

"It's the mirrors, they're closing in!" I heard Zach shout out.

I tried to find Stine through the darkness, but with no success. "Is this what's going to happen? Getting crushed by mirrors in the dark?!" I yelled. Stine spoke right next to me.

"No, because that's not what's going to happen. Only... I forgot what happens next," he declared.

"Well, that's fantastic," Zach spoke sarcastically. The room rumbled, and even though we could barely see in the dark, we knew the mirrors were getting closer, and we all started to get crammed together, which I didn't like because of physical contact. "You better figure out what happens next," Zach spoke again. "I don't wanna become a human cube with a bunch of you. No offense."

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," Stine replied in the darkness. "I'm-"

Suddenly, the floor opened up, and we went down... down... down... Down into the ground. We all screamed.

"We're all gonna die!" Champ screamed.

For once, I believe he's right.

We're dead.

* * *

"Oof!" A second later, I landed on my stomach, the wind knocking out of me. I also heard the others fall right next to me. I got up and brushed the dirt off my shirt. I checked to see if I still had my backpack on, checking the weight to see if anything fell out. Nope. Nothing fell out.

"Well, would you look at that..." Stine mused, brushing himself off. "I remember now." It wasn't dark in the underground tunnel, so we all gave him angry looks. "What?" he asked.

"You remembered _now_?" Zach said, helping Hannah off the floor, wiping the dirt out of her hair.

"Hey, it's been years since I created this story," Stine defended. "I was in my early twenties." He brushed some dirt out of his hair, too. "Come on, let's get out of this tunnel. Now be careful not to knock down-"

All of a sudden, the walls and the top part of the underground tunnel started to crumble, before we noticed that Champ had knock down one of the wooden beams that held the dirt ceiling up. _**"Champion!" **_Stine's face turned red, and he faced us. "Go, go, go!" he hollered, waving his hands forward. "Go! Run!" Stine ran past us, with us right behind him.

"Ow!" I cried, when one of the solid dirt hit me on the head, stopping me for a second. Stine had to turn back and grabbed the part of my front shirt, almost hauling me so I can keep going, then let me free.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Hannah and Zach shouted, the dirt on the walls and ceiling falling faster, the dirt crumbling around us.

By the time we made it out, we practically had to throw ourselves onto the floor outside of the cave, just in time that the cave was completely filled with dirt, blocking the exit that we just came out of. Champ leaned against one of the trees, catching his breath.

"That was close," he said. "I've never ran that fast in my life. I didn't know that one wooden beam actually held that dirt ceiling up," he panted. He notice that Stine was glaring at him. "...what...?"

"I was about to say to be careful with those beams," Stine told him angrily, going up to the boy. "But you didn't listen! I- You know what?" He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Forget that happen. Let's just be glad that we're alive. Let's go to the next ride, and see if the book is there." He began walking again. "I never wanted to go to that building again," he grumbled as we all went with him.

During our walk to the next ride, I felt breathing behind my neck. At first I thought it was Champ and was about to tell him to go in front of me when I realize that he _is_ in front of me, right between Zach and Stine, with Hannah right with them.

I paused, looking around, wondering who could be right behind me. I didn't move, whipping my head around when I heard... giggling. "H-Hello...?" I called out. The giggling grew louder. "Is someone out there?" I hollered, my heart racing. I held up my backpack full of stuff. "Come out, wherever you are!" I yelled out. "If you don't, I'll throw this at your face," I threatened. The giggling grew even louder. _**"I said, come out wherever you are!"**_ I screeched, about to throw my backpack, when I felt a hard tug. "Hey!" I protested as the tug became more roughly.

"Haha!" That laugh. "Looks like your friends left you," a voice spoke.

I stopped tugging. "The Invisible Boy!" I recognized with a gasp. I ripped the backpack out of his invisible grip. "What do you mean? They didn't leave me," I questioned. "I'm just far behind them, I'll catch up."

"Don't sweat it, girly," he snickered. "They didn't even _notice_ that you stopped when you heard me. Hahaha!" He laughed again. "Want to know why I stopped you?" he asked.

I glared at the Boy. "Why?" I replied, slipping my backpack back on.

"Because I want to tell you a little secret about this challenge..." He came closer, his breath hitting my neck. "You can keep a secret, right?" he said. I didn't say anything back. "Do you want to know what it is?"

"Not really..." I responded, backing away from him, even though I can't see him at all. "However... what is your secret? About this challenge?" I heard his footsteps coming right next to me.

"I'll tell you..." He giggled before he whispered into my ear. "I lied. No one is escaping this place. Even if they win, and I'm never going in that book."

"What?!" I jumped back. "You're insane. You made a deal with Stine!" I exclaimed, pointing at him. "I'm not going to keep that secret. When I find the others, I'll tell about your secret." I went to walk away, when I felt his hand on shoulder, having me shake him off. "I hate to be touched," I growled.

"You will not tell my father," he snarked. "Besides, they abandoned you, just like Slappy said. You'll never have friends..." he hissed.

"Don't say that!" I cried. I lifted my backpack off my back and, even though he's invisible, I swung it.

"Ow!" Somehow I manage to hit him somewhere, cause I heard him fall to the ground. That gave me time to run. "Come back here!" the Invisible Boy shouted after me. "You shall never tell my father! Never!"

His shouts echoed around me by the time I stopped at some ride, catching my breath. I have to tell Stine and the others, I thought. But what if the Boy is right? Slappy said the exact same thing to me.

I finally caught my breath, looking up at the ride that I stopped at. I read the sign that said _**The Doom Slide**_. Which is a tall mountain, and I can hear screams inside that thing. Maybe the others are inside? I have to climb up and see. Luckily I can climb up the staircase that is inside the mountain, so I won't have to worry about how high I am.

I started to climb, holding the railing with each step I took.

"Welcome to _The Doom Slide_!" I jumped when I saw a Horror right next to me. "Are you here to go down one of these deadly slides?!" he proclaimed in a loud voice, almost as if he was yelling at me.

"Actually..." I rubbed my ears which are now ringing due to his volume. "...I was actually looking for my friends.." If they even are my friends. "Were they on this thing?" I asked.

"Oh yes, they were," he grinned. "They were on this ride. They were about to go back when they noticed that you weren't with them."

"That's because I was halted by the Boy," I explained. "He told me a secret about this challenge, and he told me not to tell Stine, but... I don't like to keep secrets..." Even if I wanted to tell them about my episodes of my flashbacks I'm getting all of the sudden. "So... you said that they were going to get me?" I asked.

The Horror nodded. "Yes, but I told them that they have to go down the slides, even warning them about _The Doom Slide_. A slide where you keep on sliding..." He leaned towards me. "...forever." He stood back up. "Are you going to go down one?" he questioned. "What comes up, must come down, right?" He laughed at his own joke. I didn't. "What's the matter? I always tell that joke to the humans that come up here."

"I never laughed... Or smile," I told him.

"That's a shame," he replied with a shake of his green, fury head. "However, you still have to go down one. But," he warned, "one of these is _The Doom Slide_, and if you end up on that slide, you'll keep on sliding... _forever_." He grinned. "Go ahead," he urged, gesturing his large hand to the slides that each have a number. "Pick a slide. Any slide..."

I stepped over to the slides. I looked at each number. One of them is _The Doom Slide_... I remember reading the book _One Day At Horrorland_, reading the part where two of the characters in that book went down that slide to find the brother's friend who might've gone on that slide before they did.

_"Get out of my face, you make me sick!"_

I gasped, jumping back. That flashback...

_"Get out of my face, you make me sick! Get out of my face, you make me sick!"_

_"Come on, ugly girl! Do something!"_

_"Of course it was her, mom. She wrecks everything that she sees. I don't know why we had to take her in. She was just a mistake!"_

More came. The same ones, even the one from my nightmares, that I had a hard time figuring out which slide is _The Doom Slide_. I think they're getting worse...

"So,which slide do you pick?" the Horror asked, making me jump out of my skin.

"U-Um... uh..." I stammered. "The... number ten slide."

"Are you sure...?"

I nodded. "I believe I'm sure." I hope that this slide isn't _The Doom Slide_... I went over to it, sat down and, with a deep breath, I slid down.

As I slid, the slide became more steeper and longer and longer. I let out a scream, going faster and faster, steeper and steeper. "Why am I not stopping!?" I cried, my voice echoing. "When will it end!?" I gasped. "Oh no, slide number ten _is The Doom Slide_." Those flashbacks made me choose this one.

Just as I thought that I'll keep sliding forever, I landed on dirt by the time I slid out. I sat up, feeling pain on my arm. I looked at it, seeing a scratch mark. It was red, but not bleeding. Thank goodness, cause I didn't pack anything for first aid.

I looked around, seeing that my so called 'friends' nowhere in site. My depression came as I stood up, getting the dirt off my backpack. If they _were _my friends, then they'll be waiting for me. But what if they never came this way? Did they choose different slides then the one I chose?

If so, which ones did they pick?

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

We climbed up the steps of _The Doom Slide_, with the others right behind me. I had to drag Champ up the steps for him not to fall behind by gripping the collar of his shirt, ignoring his begging and pleading. I wanted to see if the book is up here.

By the time we got to the top, we were greeted by a Horror who had a really loud voice that hurt my ears. "Welcome to _The Doom Slide_!" the Horror boomed, making Champ scream like a girl. Like always. "Are you here to slide to your _doom_?" the Horror asked with a grin, showing his teeth which are sharp and pointed.

"No..." I answered slowly, rubbing my ears, making them stop ringing. "We're on a challenge that the Boy told us to do," I told him. "He says he wants to see if we survive or not." I didn't tell him about the book that we are looking for during this challenge in case he knows about it. Well, I created these Horrors and the creepy park, so... he basically _does_ know about it. "So we decided to come on this ride," I finished.

"I didn't want to come here!" Champ cried, ready to climb down the steps. However, that's when Hannah spoke up.

"Dad," she said, "Hazel's not with us."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "She was with us, wasn't she?"

"Yeah, but now..." Hannah looked behind her, expecting to see Hazel. "...she's not here," she informed.

"Well, let's go back down to get her," I replied. "She probably stop to tie her shoes or something and didn't know where we went. She's a smart kid, so I bet she's staying where she is."

"Oh good, we don't have to go down one of these slides." Champ let out a breath of relief.

Just as we were about to go down the steps, the Horror stopped us. "Whoa! You cannot go down that way!" he declared in his loud voice. "You have to go down one of these slides. But be careful. one of them is _The Doom Slide_. If you end up picking that slide, you won't stop sliding. Don't worry, if that girl comes, I'll tell her what I told you, and tell her to go down one of these slides."

"Is that it?" Zach questioned with a raised brow. "Just go down one of these slides?"

The Horror nodded. "Yes, but one of them is _The Doom Slide_."

Zach went over to one of the slides. "I bet number seven isn't _The Doom Slide_. Plus, it's a lucky number." He turned to us. "Wish me luck," he said. He took a deep breath, sat down, and slid out of our sites. We listened for any signs to see if he was okay or not. Not long after, we heard him scream. That's good. He's okay.

"Guess, I'll go next," Hannah said, walking up to the slides. She looked at each one of them. "I'll do number six," she chose. I watch my daughter slid down the slide. She too, let out a scream. Now it's just me and Champ left.

"I'm not going down those slides," he refused. "I'm going down the _other_ way. The stairs." He was about to go down the other way when I walked over to him, grabbed him by the shoulders, and started to push him towards one of the slides. "Hey, what are you-?" he started, then realized what I was about to do. "No! No! Stine, please, I don't want to go down one!" He tried to break free of my grasp, but I was stronger then he was. "Stine! Don't!"

"We _all _have to do it," I spoke in a low tone. "When Hazel comes up here, she's gonna have to do it, too. Remember, kid, we're in this together." I stopped at the slide that I pushed him to. "I bet number eight is a _perfect _slide." I forced him to sit down, then gave him a good shove, making him slid down the slide.

"Stiiiiiiiinnnnnnne...!" Champ hollered, his voice echoing out of the slide. I kinda smirked before going to the next slide. Number five. Taking a deep breath, I sat down, and began to slide, hoping that this one isn't _The Doom Slide_.

* * *

**Champion**

* * *

"Get me off this thing!" I cried, trying to stop myself from sliding. "I hate this ride!" I kept on sliding, the slide getting steeper and steeper, as well as getting longer and longer, faster and faster, the slide not coming to an end. "Oh no! Number eight is _The Doom Slide_!" I panicked, pressing my hands harder on the sides. "I'll never stop sliding! Help, someone help! Get me off this thing!"

Just as I thought that I won't be able to stop sliding, the slide ended with me flying in the air. "I'm gonna die!" I screamed, free falling in the air. "I just know it!" I then landed on something. Like a mattress of some sort. Only I didn't open my eyes. "I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I just died..."

"If you just died, then how are you talking?" a voice asked.

"Huh?" I opened my eyes to see Zach standing in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest. "Zach! Oh, good God, I thought I was on _that _slide," I proclaimed in a happy voice, getting off the mattress.

"So was I," he replied. "When will Stine and Hannah get off those slides? I don't see them here."

I opened my mouth when I heard a loud holler, and saw Stine slid out of the slide. He got up off the ground. "That was terrifying..." he spoke as we walked up to him. "Did Hannah get off?" he asked us.

We looked at each other. "No... not yet," Zach informed him.

"If she doesn't get off that thing soon, I think I'm gonna have a panic attack..." Stine spoke, his voice growing with concern, thinking about having his daughter sliding down the slide forever, and not able to see her anymore. Just like when she was trapped in the new book that Zach had to help finish.

Then we heard a high, shrill scream coming from slide number six. Hannah slid out of the slide. "Whoa..." she let out as Zach helped her up onto her feet. "That was... freaky..."

"Thank goodness you're okay." Stine went up to her, feeling relieved to see his daughter in one piece. "Now we can wait here, and hope that Hazel picked the slides we picked."

"But..." I began. "...what if she didn't...?"

That questioned got us all worried... The other question is: What if she picked _The Doom Slide_?

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

Which slides did they end up on? That's the question I wanted to ask. But no answer came to me. And when I looked around, this is the only slide in this area, and no other ones, which explains why they aren't coming.

I looked around, seeing that I was in some kind of forest that is probably part of Horrorland. With a sad sigh, I trudged off, following the path. And while I was walking, I kept hearing howls all around me. I paused, looking around. The howls sounded like wolves... And they sounded dangerous. Are they werewolves? If so, I don't want to encounter one. Seeing the werewolf from _The Werewolf Of Fever Swamp_ is good enough for me and my 'friends'.

I began to walk again, my head down, not looking where I was going. When I looked up, the moon was high over the trees at the peak of the night sky, dotted with stars. Another howl, along with others that followed along with it.

I then remembered. Wolves howl at the full moon. Even werewolves. But... I don't see any. And that's when I heard growls all over the place, as well as angry barks. Just like a dog would do if it hates some kind of person or animal.

My heart beat exoculated. Where are the howling and growling and barking coming from? More howls came, and I keep whipping my head around, trying to find the wolves or werewolves, and didn't see any.

As I was walking, my direction facing behind me, I bumped into something and ended on the ground on my back, getting another scratch on my other arm. And just as I was about to sit up, a furry animal looked down at me, baring its sharp, pointed teeth that glistened from the moonlight. It drooled on my face, making me wipe it away.

It snarled at me. That's when I realize it was... _a werewolf!_ I began to sit up, only for it to pin me down with one of its huge paws, its eyes glowing this red, evil color.

"Get off!" I screamed, putting my hands on the werewolf's chest, doing my best to push it off of me. The werewolf barked in my face, making me stop what I was doing.

I looked around, spotting a good size rock not too far from me. I looked back at the snarling creature, keeping its attention on me as I reached for the rock. When I felt it, I grabbed it, and hit the monster with it. It let out a yelp when the rock smack it on the mouth, getting the werewolf off of me.

Not wasting anytime, I quickly stood up, and ran. I heard the werewolf letting out another howl. I began to hear something chasing me. I looked back, and saw like ten werewolves chasing me, the first one that pinned me to ground in front of them.

I looked around frantically, spotting a gate. I ran to it and tried to open the gate. But it wouldn't. It was locked! And while I struggled to get the gate open, a sign caught my attention. It read _**The Wolfsbane Forest**_.

An angry snarl made me scream. I turned around, pressing myself against the gate.

They came closer, glaring at me with those red eyes. And I remembered something else. Something... _horrifying_. And it just came to me.

When you get bitten by a werewolf, you'll _become_ a werewolf. Forever.

"Somebody help me!" I cried, hoping that someone will come. Only... no one came. Not even my 'friends'. Where are they? I wondered frantically.

And one of the werewolves jumped at me.


	11. Chapter 11: Vampire Village

**Chapter 11: Vampire Village**

* * *

I quickly took off my backpack, and swung it at the werewolf that was about to jump on me, hitting it on the side of its head, knocking the wild animal onto the ground, yelping, looking around all dazed up from the impact. The other werewolves growled, their eyes still glowing red. I quickly put my backpack back on, grabbing a good size stick into my hands. "Get back!" I swung the stick. "Get! Get back!" I repeated, being a tough as possible, swinging the stick at them, until the one in the front grabbed it with its teeth, yanking it. "No!" I kept a tight grip on it. "Let go!" I yelled, tugging the stick from the other end. The werewolf growled, not letting go. It kept on growling and snarling, pulling the stick before snapping it in half.

The werewolf dropped the other half of the stick on the ground. Drool dripped out of its mouth as it came closer, the others doing the same thing. My heart rate went up, and I dropped the other stick that I had right next to me, pressing myself against the gate. I looked around frantically, seeing if there is a way to escape these monsters. I didn't want to get bit by any of them, not wanting to become one of these furry freaks. I didn't want to become... a werewolf. If I had pact anything that is silver, I would've, but I didn't have any at home. Not even silver jewelry. In fact, I don't wear any jewelry at all.

Sweat came to my forehead as I gazed down at the werewolves as they stalked closer, eyes glaring back into my hazel colored eyes. "Please..." I begged, my bold voice being replaced with fear and anxiety. "G-Get away... Get _away!_" I kinda screamed. They, however, ignored me, coming closer with their razor sharp teeth. And right before I knew what I was doing, I kicked the first werewolf under the chin. It let out a yelp, staggering back, shaking its head as if to get rid of the pain.

At first I thought they'll run off, but that didn't happen. The one that I kicked let out an angry bark. So loud that it shocked me. It even made me scream. Suddenly, right before I knew it, the first one tackled me to the ground. "No!" I cried, covering up the back of my head with my hands and curling my body up into a ball as tight as I could. Luckily, my backpack acted like a shield for my back, but the rest of my body was vulnerable. "No!" I cried out again. I can feel the werewolf's hot breath brush against the back of my neck. "Don't bite me!" I screeched, my voice high and shrill. I felt a drop of drool on my left cheek.

This is it. My life is over. "Help me!" I desperately shouted, even if I didn't care if the people I was with are my friends or not. "Someone, anyone, _help me!_" I listened for footsteps. None came. It's like... no one knows that I am here. "Help!" I didn't stop calling out. "Help me-" Suddenly, I felt the teeth sink into the top part of my shirt, missing my shoulder.

I grabbed the bottom part of the gate when it began to tug me. One of the other ones grabbed my pant leg right near my shoe with its teeth, helping the other one. I kept a firm grip on the bottom gate as they tried to pull me and drag me away.

I didn't let go, and I began to panic. "_Let go of me!_" I screamed, my throat becoming raw from the volume I was using. It was like back at my old home, where I get dragged out of bed... I made another attempt for them to release me. _**"LET GO OF ME!"**_ But my screams didn't scare them off so easily.

Just as I thought they were about to win, I heard shoes pattering on the fairgrounds, along with an angry shout.

"Hey!"

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

We stood by the end of the slides, all of us having the same worried look. Where is she...? Did she end up on _The Doom Slide_? If so... we'll never see again. Even me... It's like I'm treating as my own daughter, just like Hannah.

"Maybe we should look for her?" Champ suggested in a questioning tone of voice.

"For once, Champ, you are right," I answered, raking my fingers through my dark, brown hair. "She probably ended up on the other slides then the ones that we got on. She can't be too far..." I looked around. "Let's start looking for her," I said, and started walking. The others caught up with me, and Hannah was at my right side.

"Dad?" she spoke.

"Hmm?" I replied, keeping my eyes straight ahead, and at the same time looking for Hazel.

"This may sound crazy but... it seems like your treating Hazel like your own daughter... Just like me," she said.

"What made you think of that?" I inquired, lifting a brow at Hannah.

She shrugged her shoulders. "...It just came to me," Hannah answered. "And she did start acting a bit... strange," she then added.

"Strange?" I questioned. "What do you mean by that word?"

"Well... as we were walking...she...um... she didn't seem... right. I asked her, and she told me she's having... flashbacks..."

"Flashbacks?"

She shrugged her shoulders again. "Yeah. I asked her if she was okay, and told me to forget about it," she replied. "I guess she's afraid that I won't believe her."

"Well, I'm no doctor, but if she gets them again, and if it gets worse, she _should _tell us," I said. "In fact, when we were at the graveyard, I asked if she had foster parents since her biological parents are now... gone. And she was about to answer until Zach yelled us to run away from the ghouls."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault," Zach slightly defended.

"I know," I nodded at him. "Now let's keep look-"

"Help me!" We all stopped when we heard a familiar voice calling out desperately. "Someone, anyone, _help me!_" the same voice repeated. "Help!" We listened carefully. "Help me-" The same exact voice got cut off for just a second. "_Let go of me!" _Slowly we walked, not making any sound at first when the voice let out a raw like scream. _**"LET GO OF ME!"**_

Our slow walk turned into a full blown run, our shoes pattering on the fairgrounds. As we got closer, I saw someone on the ground, holding onto the bottom part of the gate. My heart went up to my throat when I realize it was Hazel and a bunch of werewolves. Two of them were trying to get her to let go of the gate. "Hey!" I let out an angry shout, to see if I can shoo them away.

By the time I got to the gate, I saw that it was locked. Quickly, I looked around for any key that would unlock it. There wasn't one. I grabbed the gate, shaking it violently. "Get away from her!" I yelled aggressively. One of the werewolves barked at me, causing me to release the gate. "Zach, you're in good shape, jump over the gate, and use anything to get them away from her." God, I'm still treating Hazel as if she were my own daughter. Why though? Maybe because I'm a dad.

"Got it," he responded. He grabbed the gate and climbed, jumping over it. "Hey! Hey!" Picking up a sturdy stick, he smacked one of them on top of its head, forcing to let go of Hazel's shirt. It let out a yelp, staggering backwards. He then hit the other one, and it too, let out a yelping in pain. "Get back!" Zach ordered, swinging the stick around, forcing them back. They growled, their eyes glowing red with evil, their lips curled, showing their sharp teeth.

As Zach kept doing his best to keep the werewolves away, I noticed the part of the gate and the ground are separated, and it looks like she can crawl under it, since she's small enough to fit through.

"Hazel, crawl underneath the gate. Hurry," I told her.

As quickly as she could, she began to drag herself underneath the gate, getting halfway to the other side, until one of the werewolves bit down on the soul of one of her sneakers, and she let out a terrified scream.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

As I gripped the bottom part of the gate, the shoe pattering stop, and the gate was being shook very violently, that I almost let go of it. "Get away from her!" I knew it was Stine because of his voice, sounding very aggressive towards the werewolves that one of them barked at him, causing him to let go of the gate. "Zach, you're in good shape, jump over the gate, and use anything to get them away from her," Stine instructed.

Actually, now that I think about the way he's acting... He seems like he's treating me as his own... daughter? But... that can't be right. And also, why did I ended up thinking that...?

The sound of Zach's shoes met the ground, landing with perfect ease just like we did at Stine's house where we had to leap over his fence. Me, Zach, and Champ. Well...as for Champ... he didn't do so well by landing on his, well, face...

"Hey! Hey!" I saw him pick up a sturdy stick that was out of reach from me, running towards the werewolves, hitting the first one biting my shirt on the head, and the werewolf let out a yelp as it released me, staggering back. He then hit the other one, forcing it jaws to release my pant leg. "Get back!" Zach swung the stick around, forcing the werewolves back. Growls erupted from their throats, eyes glowing this evil red. They curled their lips, showing their sharp teeth.

"Hazel, crawl underneath the gate. Hurry," Stine urged.

I glanced at the bottom gate, and he was right. Between the ground and the gate, I can actually crawl to the other side since I'm small enough to fit. As quickly as I could, I began to drag myself underneath the gate. I only got halfway to the other side, when one of the werewolves sank its teeth into the soul of one of my sneakers.

I let out a scream, using my other foot to kick its nose. Once it let go, I quickly dragged myself to the other side. I checked my shoe. There are teeth marks, but the werewolf didn't bite through it... thank goodness.

"Zach, Zach, Zach, come on, let's get away from them now," Stine said, gesturing his hands. Zach did one last swing before he dropped the stick. He climbed over the gate again, and landed back to our side. Stine helped me up by taking my hand, and I flinched at the physical contact, almost yanking my hand away. "Are you-"

"Why?" I forced out, interrupting him. "Why did it took you guys this long? Huh?! Why?!" He opened his mouth to answer, but I just kept on going. "Do you realize that I was almost attacked by those...werewolves!" I ranted, my anger taking the toll of its own. "I could've been killed by those...things! I was almost-"

_**"Hazel!" **_For the first time that night, Stine used his full volume voice at _me_. I backed up, my anger slipping back into depression. I couldn't help but stare at his glaring eyes, reminding me of someone else from my childhood... He was... yelling at me. "The reason why it took us awhile because we had to _find _you," he explained, his angry voice being replaced by his gentle tone. "Since you didn't come down on the other slides, we believed that you ended up on _The Doom Slide_." He looked at me seriously. "Did you end up on that slide?" Stine asked.

I didn't answer right away, cutting my eyes towards the ground. "...yes," I responded to his question after a few seconds of silence. "And also before I ended up forgetting, I ran into the Boy, and he told me a secret about this... challenge..."

Stine serious look turned into confusion. "...what?" he replied.

"A secret. He lied," I informed. "He told me that if we win, he's gonna keep us in this place forever, and said he's never going into the book." I looked up at Stine, my eyes obscured with water. "However, he, along with Slappy, was right about one thing..." My eyebrows lowered as I switched moods. "You guys aren't my friends..." I spoke.

"Huh?" Hannah gave me the same look as her father.

"Don't lie to me!" I snapped. "I knew you guys were lying right from the start when I met all of you guys. Both the Boy and that evil dummy said that you betrayed me. All of you!" Tears ran down my cheeks as I kept on venting. "I knew I shouldn't trust you guys at all," I cracked. "I've shouldn't... trust you..." My voice broke, and I squeezed my eyes shut, looking away from everybody. "...at all." I opened my eyes again, more watery tears pouring out of my eyes as I gave them a mix of anger and sad emotion. "You guys were just _using me _so that one day that you guys can all just leave me. In fact, I was about to leave all of you guys once we finish this challenge and after we trap everything in the book that we are looking for. But now... I changed my mind. I changed my damn mind!" I ripped my backpack off of me, throwing it on the ground. "Here! Have my stuff that I brought for survival for all my friends, even though _you were NOT!_" Everyone had startled looks on their faces. They didn't even move or say anything. Without another word, I stormed off to find the entrance of Horrorland that we came through.

"Hazel, come back here," Hannah called out to me in an almost pleading tone.

I ignored her, walking away faster. I heard her run up to me, not to mention the others, touching my shoulder. "_Don't touch me!_" I screeched on top of my lungs. "Get lost! All of you! I don't need you guys anyway. Just. Leave. Me. _Alone! _I've don't want to see you guys anymore for the rest of my life! You guys aren't my friends! So don't follow me, don't talk to me, and most importantly... _STAY AWAY FROM ME!_" I wiped some tears away. "I know you guys hate me! I know I did mention that I wanted to tell my past life on why I always feel this way... But I don't think it'll make me feel any better. Just..." I gritted my teeth, pulling my hair. "Just forget about it!" I yelled, finding my voice. "I'm never gonna tell you guys my past life at all!"

"...Hazel..." Hannah took a step forward, and I took a step back.

"No... Just...get away from me..." My vision blurred with more water filling up my eyes, backing away from her and everyone else. "I don't need you guys anymore," I repeated.

"Hazel..." Hannah made another attempt to stop me, and when my vision cleared, her eyes brimmed with tears, as well. "Hazel..." She stepped forward.

"No." Stine held out his arm, stopping her from getting too close to me.

"Dad," she argued.

"Let's leave her alone," he suggested, his eyes very sorrow. "And find the book and put everything back in. If she says that we used her...saying that we betrayed her, after believing everything that the Boy and Slappy had said to her... Now let's go." He picked up my backpack and began to walk away. He stopped when the others didn't come with him. "Guys, let's go," he said, gesturing his head towards the direction that he's heading.

Zach and Champ turned and walked away from me, giving me a lot of space. Zach stopped, seeing that Hannah hadn't moved from her spot. He went over to her. "Let's go, Hannah," he said, holding out his hand for her to take it.

With tears in her eyes, she gave me one last glance, and took Zach's hand. But, before she even turned from me, a teardrop leaked out of her eye, landed on the ground, making a small splash...

I stood there, my face becoming wet with tears that forced out of my eyes. I turned and began walking, looking for the entrance so I can get out of this horror and scary amusement park.

Even though I felt guilty for telling them off... that's never gonna change. No one is my friend... At all.

* * *

**Hannah**

* * *

I couldn't help but to feel the sadness around me as I followed my friend, my boyfriend, and my dad, looking for the book and the Invisible Boy once Hazel told us his nasty secret. However, the other one truly shocked me. It wasn't a secret, really... It was a lie that Hazel believed after Slappy and the Boy told her that we 'betrayed' her... saying that we aren't her friends. And she thought we were lying when we gave her the same confused looks on our faces. Why did she think we hate her? I even stated that we were... best friends...

I stopped, letting go of Zach's hand, and he stopped as well. "Hannah?" He turned to me.

"I'm going to find Hazel and I want to know why she thinks that we betrayed her, even though that we didn't," I said. "I mean come on. That Boy and that stupid ass dummy told her that lie. And ended up believing them."

"Stine said that we just have to leave her alone," he told me.

"Why?" I raised my voice, loud enough that both dad and Champ came to a halt, their heads turning to glance at us. "Why should we?" I asked, my voice high. "Zach, at the very start of meeting her, she never smiled. Never. She's always sad all the time. And then her mood switched to anger, then back to depression. I even asked if she okay when we were coming to this creepy amusement park. She told me she was having flashbacks, and when I questioned her about it, she told me to like... forget about it."

"Hannah, your dad told us to leave her alone," Zach repeated.

"Listen to me, Zach." My voice lowered a bit. "Did you see how she reacted when my dad yelled at her? It's like she is afraid of him. Something definitely happened to her when she was a young child."

"Yeah, she lost her parents," he answered.

"Yeah that, but she might've had foster parents or god parents." I can tell by the way Zach is looking at me is that he wasn't getting what I was talking about. "Zach... I want to have answers from her... like when you need to know why my dad was overprotective of me, and you found out after I told you before I had to open the book to get Slappy and all his monster gang, including me..." I pointed at myself. "...into that book that _you _had to help finish since dad's fingers had been broken by the idiot doll." I took a deep breath and let it out. "I need to go find her," I said, making my decision, not backing out.

"What are you going to do?" he questioned. "Just force her to talk about her past life even though she told us to forget about it."

"Not by force," I responded. "By asking her nicely," I grinned.

"Hannah, I don't think that's a good idea," Dad warned, approaching me. "She was very angry and upset. How about you wait until we put everything back in the book?" he suggested me.

"No, dad," I protested, not wanting him to shout at me, and most importantly, not wanting his face to do the red thing. "I'm going to find her. You guys go on ahead, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure...?"

"Yes, dad, I'm sure. Now get going and find that book." I felt something wet drop onto my head. Then another one, until it started to pour down heavily.

"Aw no!" Dad looked around, not happy that it's now raining. "If we don't find that book, it'll be ruined," he exclaimed, brushing his fingers through his hair.

"Will the leather book cover keep the pages from getting wet?" Champ asked.

Dad slid his hand down over his face. "I hope so..." He turned to me. "Go get Hazel, and I hope you brought your phone with you," he said.

I took it out of my hoodie. "Yep, and the battery is only..." I looked at it. I had to wipe off some rain off so I can read the percentage of the battery of my phone. "...seventy-five percent," I stated, putting the phone back in my hoodie pocket.

"Good, call me when you find her," Dad instructed. "Let's go, boys," he added, then took off with the boys right behind him, the rain getting on their hair.

Once they had left, I began jog, the rain making lots of puddles around me. Small one and big ones. I wish we knew it was going to rain, but I guess we didn't bother watching the weather channel, and if I had, I'll be able to bring an umbrella. Oh well...

I kept on jogging, looking for the entrance that we came through. But the time that I got there, it wasn't open. I thought if she had left, it'll be open, or she basically climbed over the gate. Except, there are no shoe prints in the dirt that is now turning into mud.

I walked away from the entrance, shoving my hands into the pockets of my hoodie, getting wetter and wetter. "Where is she?" I asked out loud, before I saw a sign to my left. I went over to it. "_Vampire_ _Village_..." I read, raising a brow. For some reason, I felt like she went here. Either she went through here to find another entrance, which is basically impossible because there's only one entrance to get into Horrorland, or she made a wrong turn, which is understandable since it kinda raining really hard.

I took a deep breath, entering the village, calling her name. "Hazel. Hazel." As I kept calling out for her, all I can think is about the things she said to us.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

Looking for the entrance to get out of this park isn't easy when it's raining when it's sort of heavy. My clothes stuck to my skin and the inside of my shoes are getting wet. I know I'll be sick the next day. And my hair is drenched.

I made a left turn, thinking that's where the entrance is due to the harsh rain. Except, I found more rides, along with coffins everywhere I look. Like the ones for vampires to go into like in the movies.

I didn't care, and I decided to take a break from walking, and sat at one of the tables that looks like it was painted with blood. I rested the side of my head onto my arms that I put on the table top, closing my eyes to rest them. And since it's now raining, I couldn't tell if it was a teardrop that leaked out of my eye, or a raindrop, as my mind replayed the moments of my childhood...

* * *

I must have dozed off because I began hearing my name being called. "_Hazel. Hazel_." The person sounded far away, but the voice grew stronger. "Hazel. Hazel." I picked my head up, seeing Hannah. She didn't see me at first, and I thought she'll just walk away, hoping she'll not find me at this table. However, my prediction failed when she actually saw me. "Hazel," she said, her jog picking up into a quick run.

I panicked by the time she got to me. "No!" I cried. "I told you guys to stay from me! Hannah, go away before I start getting angry at you," I warned. She didn't leave. "Hannah, just go, okay?" I said, my voice breaking into a sob. "No one is my friend. Nobody ever want me in the first place. Both the Boy and Slappy are so right about you guys. I can never trust you or anyone again. Because you guys only pretended to my friends..."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, sitting down next to me. "We would _never _do that to you," she replied. "Now can you please tell me why you ended up believing what those freaks said that to you, and why you are always miserable...?"

"I used to be happy..." I answered, looking down at the table. "But now I'm like... this."

"What made you stop being all happy?" she kept on asking. "Hazel, you won't feel better if you just keep this to yourself," Hannah reasoned. I didn't respond back. "Just tell me about your past life... I won't judge you. I'll listen to every word you have to say."

I sat there, thinking about it. Will she listen to every word I'll tell her? Or is this some kind of trick?

"Fine," I spoke. "I'll tell you... But just to warn you, it isn't a happy story to hear from me." Taking a deep breath and still not looking at her, I began to tell my about my childhood. "Back when I was a kid, I had great parents... They're always there for me when I needed them. My mom works at home, while my dad goes out on business trips every week. And since I was an only child, they let me choose the things I want and the things I didn't want. I was so happy back then. But then..." I took another deep breath, letting out. "...one day, we were in the car, and a huge truck came, smashing the front hood of the car. I didn't remember anything because I blacked out, and found myself in the hospital." I paused for a quick second and continued on. "Luckily... I survived... and as for my parents, that's a different story. Keep in mind that I was actually five when that happened. When I was released, I was hoping that I'll live with my grandparents or my aunt and uncle's place. Except, they live somewhere else, not close to Madison. Instead, I went to live with my mom and dad's friends... They weren't my foster parents... They were...my god parents. A god mother...a god father...and also a god brother who's older than me. Their names were Kelly, Jeff, and Travis... At first I thought it was cool, because I seen pictures of them with my parents before I came around. Only... I was wrong. Very wrong. For some reason, they hated me, always leaving bruises on me. Most of the time both my god parents went out and my god brother will be hanging out with his friends. That's why I prefer them not be in the house. But when they are, they always tortured me... I remember this one day when I saw a vase on the small table of the hallway of the house. I don't know when they got it, and was I memorized by its beauty from its green color. And as I was looking at it, I saw Travis walking out of his room so he can leave the house to see his pals, spotting me, and that's when the horrible ordeal began...

_'Move.'_

I slowly began to move out of the way, only for him to me push to the table. The table shook from the impact when my shoulder hit it, making it shake. The vase wobbled, losing its balance, falling to the floor. A loud, piercing sound came from the vase as it broke into pieces, revealing the blue color from the inside.

_'See what you did?'_

I can only stare at the broken vase. I heard Kelly and Jeff coming over to us, asking what had happened. Travis pointed at me.

_'This brat broke your precious vase, mom.'_

I was afraid to look up at her, but I force myself to do so. She was glaring at me, her face scrunched up with pure anger, and she blew her steam at me.

_'Get out of my face, you make me sick!'_

_'But...'_

_'I said, GET OUT!'_

_'You heard mom. Go away, you little freak.'_

_'But... I didn't do anything...'_

_'Oh? And you expect me to believe that he did it?'_

I didn't say anything...

_'Of course it was her, mom. She wrecks everything she sees. I don't know why we had to take her in. She was just a mistake!'_

After he said that, I glanced over at Jeff. He looked down at me, sending me angry eyes. He grabbed me, dragging me to another room that we never use, shutting the door behind him, and... well... from the loud slaps... and my painful screams... you know what's happening in there...

Once it was over, I ended up outside on the porch, my body sore all over the place as I cried myself to sleep.

School was the same as home. Nobody liked me. They always teased me and bullied me whenever they get the chance. The only person that never hated me is my teacher. And during that time, we would be reading every morning, reading our favorite books that we really like. I had a favorite series, and I never told anyone about my favorite kind of books, fearing that they would judge me and the books that I liked. I wasn't wrong, though, when the teacher announced something.

_'Alright, kids, I hope you enjoyed the books that you are reading. I want to know what you are reading about. How about one of you come up to the class, and tell us the book that you are reading. It doesn't matter if you finished the book or not. Just come up and tell us about it.'_

She looked at each of my classmates, before laying her eyes on me. She smiled.

_'How about we start off with a good reader? Hazel, can you come up and tell us the book that you are reading?'_

She still had her smile on her face. Slowly, I got up from my desk, grabbing my book, walking up in front of the classroom. My teacher had this impressed look on her face.

_'You're reading a chapter book?'_

I nodded. The impressed look didn't leave her face.

_'Wow, you must be a very good reader. What chapter book are you reading?'_

_'Goosebumps...'_

_'Goosebumps. That's amazing. And what's the title of that book that you got there?'_

I looked at the title of the book.

_'The Barking Ghost...'_

_'Oh, that sounds scary. Do you like scary books?'_

_'Yeah... my real parents bought me the books last year before I ended up with my god family.'_

_'Did you bring the books to their place?'_

Of course, she never knew what goes on at the household.

_'...yeah...'_

_'Would you like to tell us what the book is about?'_

_'...no...'_

She frowned with concern.

_'You don't want to tell us?'_

I nodded.

_'Why not...?'_

I opened my mouth to answer, to tell her that...

_'Because those books are awful!'_

One kid shouted out, and everyone burst out laughing. A girl giggled.

_'Those are the worst books ever! I mean, who likes those kind of books?'_

I can only stand there as they kept on laughing. I knew it. I knew this would happen.

_'Settle down, settle down. It doesn't matter what anyone reads.'_

But they didn't stop laughing when my teacher tried to intervened. Tears came to my eyes, and I ran out the back door of the classroom with the book still my hands. I went underneath the slide, gripping the book, not letting it drop to the ground.

I heard the recess bell go off. Oh no... here they come. My hope is that they won't find me...

_'Look what we found...'_

One of the kids grabbed me by the shirt, hauling me to the sandbox, and I ended up dropping the book right near it when I got pushed into it.

_'Come on, ugly girl! Do something!'_

They began kicking sand at me, and all I did was take it. I cried as more sand got into my hair. Then my crying turned to anger, my hands gripping the sand. I can't take it anymore...

_'That's it!'_

With my hands still clenched together, I sat up and confronted them.

_'Go ahead, mock me! I don't understand why you hated me! Is it because I have a god family who doesn't like me, so you can do the same when I'm at school? Huh? Isn't it?! Why?! Why do you guys pick on me and judge me for the things I like?'_

A girl made a smug smile and answered.

_'You're useless.'_

I can feel my face turn bright red, and I swore that I thought smoke came out of my ears like in those cartoon shows.

_'How am I useless? I never did anything to you guys. Why can't you guys be nice and be my friends?'_

The boy who pulled me to the sandbox gave me a sneer.

_'No one wants to be your friend. Besides, who wants to be your friend? Oh, that's right. Nobody.'_

That's when my anger took on with itself. I let out an angry scream, throwing the sand that I had in my hands.

_'My eyes! My eyes! MY EYES!'_

He screamed, brushing his hands onto his face, frantically trying to get the sand that are now burning his eyes.

Now's my chance. I picked up my book and ran off, not looking back until I got to my place. Quickly, I grabbed two suitcases, packing up as much as I could. Including my books.

_'Where do you think you're going?'_

A voice boomed, startling me. It was Jeff... and my anxiety started to kick in. He was glaring at me through his framed glasses that he always wore.

_'Answer me, missy! Where do you think you're going?'_

_'Away from here.'_

_'What?!'_

_'AWAY FROM HERE!'_

I screamed at my god father, walking up to him. He was a large man who is in his late twenties or early thirties compared to me since I'm a little girl.

_'I don't want to see you nor anyone else ever again! I don't want to get beaten anymore!'_

His glare never left his haunting eyes when he grabbed me by the shirt, and was about to drag me to that one room.

_'No!'_

I yanked myself free from his grasp and ran out the door with suitcases in tow.

_'Get back here, right now!'_

Jeff hollered out to me angrily, but I didn't stop. I just ran, the suitcases wheeling behind me. I didn't stop until I spotted an empty house. I walked up the porch, opening the front door, and surprise to see sheets on lots of furniture.

And so, I moved in, and cleaned up the place... and made it my home. And as the years went on... I lived there, my happiness being taken away from all the bad things that had happened to me... That's why I will never be happy... because nobody likes me, Hannah. Both Slappy and the Boy are right about you guys..."

I sniffled, tears getting mix in with the rain as they flowed down my face as I put my head down. "There, I told you about my childhood," I spoke in a broken voice. "Now you can just leave me here so I can be miserable forever."

"Hazel... I'm sorry. Really, I am," Hannah spoke with compassion. "But what the Boy and Slappy said to you isn't true at all."

"Maybe your right..." I shrugged my shoulders. "Only I can't trust anyone anymore..."

Hannah didn't say anything for a long while, until she said something that shocked me. "Since you're always living on your own, would you like to live with me and my dad...?" she asked.

I picked my head up, blinking my eyes at her. "What...? No... No, I...I can't. I-"

"Hazel, I'll ask my dad if you can stay with us," she insisted. "Come on, I'm your best friend, right?"

"...I guess..." I responded with another shrug.

"And I'll tell dad what you told me, if that's okay with you."

"Sure... go ahead," I said, and Hannah pulled out her phone. "You're going to call Stine?" I questioned.

"Yeah, he told me to call him when I find you," she explained, dialing Stine's phone number. "He'll come get us and-"

Something smacked the phone out of her hand, landing on the pavement screen first. But our attention was not on Hannah's phone, because we began to look up, and saw a pale, white face vampire. And not just one, at least dozens of them.

And they look thirsty...


	12. Chapter 12: Vampires And Screams

**Chapter 12: Vampires And Screams**

* * *

We slowly got off the table as they came closer with their fangs ready. They let out ugly hisses like a snake. My heart began to raise when my anxiety went up a notch, sweat coming to my forehead. "Grab your phone, quick," I urged, motioning Hannah to get it. She quickly snatched the phone off the ground just as one of the vampires almost grabbed her with his skinny fingers. "Does your phone still work?" I asked.

She didn't answer and began to press the button that turns on the phone. "Is it working?" I repeated.

"My phone's broken," she declared, answering my question. "The screen is broken and so my phone isn't working. And I just got this two days ago!" She let out a frustrated grunt, throwing the phone back on the ground, causing the back of it to pop off. "Now I can't call dad," she said. She gazed at the vampires that came closer, with me and her backing away. "We need to use something against them," she told me.

"Like what?" I questioned.

"Well... What do you use against vampires?" Hannah quizzed me. My eyebrows wrinkled together, trying to think of what we can use to get rid of these vampires. "Okay...how about this. What do vampires hate?" she asked since I'm having a hard time figuring this out.

"A wooden stake...?" I guessed.

"We would use one, but the problem is that we won't be able to find one in time," she clarified. "What else?" A vampire stepped closer to her, reaching out to grab her. She picked up her foot, kicking it in the shins. "Back off!" Hannah yelled. "Hazel, what else do vampires hate?"

"Garlic?" I answered, even though I wasn't sure it was the right answer.

"That's right. Now let's out run things as best as we could."

"Um... hello?" I waved my hands. "Did you know that vampires have super speed? Like in those _Twilight Saga _movies?"

"Vampires don't have speed, Hazel," Hannah corrected me. "But they do turn in vampire bats and fly." She put her mouth close to my ear, whispering. "On a count of three, we run as fast as we can."

"Got it," I confirmed.

"One..." she began to count. "Two..." We got ourselves ready to dash away from these monsters. "Three!" As fast as we can, we began speeding away from them, my feet picking off the ground. "Go, go, go!" Hannah hollered.

The vampires let out hisses. I turned my head over my shoulder, my eyes going wide when I saw them transform into bats. They let out screeches, flapping their wings, flying towards us. "Yah!" I let our a holler when one of the bats landed in my hair, its talons scraping my scalp. I reached and grabbed the critter, pulling it out of my hair, then flung it away from me. The bats screeched when that one bat hit them, sending them a few feet back.

"Where are we suppose to find garlic?" I cried, catching up to Hannah.

"Over there!" Hannah pointed at one of the snack stands that you normally find at any amusement park. We went up to it, seeing a Horror wearing a vampire cape just like the ones that are now bats. "Do you have anything with garlic?" she puffed.

"Yes, I do," the Horror exclaimed in his rough voice. "I have animal blood with mix garlic, raccoon with garlic on top. In fact a lot of our food stands in _Vampire Village_ has garlic on everything. We even have garlic powder for those who just wants to eat that instead."

"We'll take the garlic powder," I said, looking back to see if the vampires are still coming after us.

"Small, medium, or large?" he asked, putting each container of garlic powder on the stand.

"The large, thank you," Hannah quickly said, grabbing the container. "Let's go," she directed towards me. We ran back to where the bats are. "Hey!" Hannah grabbed a handful of the powder, throwing some at them. The powder hit them, and they turned back to regular vampires, all letting out angry hisses.

I grabbed a handful, throwing some at them, as well. "Does your dad know where we are?" I threw another hand full at them. "Because I don't think we can keep these things away from us for long."

"How is he supposed to know?" she replied back. "If these-" She threw more powder at them. "-vampires hadn't made me drop my phone, I would have called him. Then he and the boys-" Another toss of powder. "-will find us and help fight these things."

"...sorry," I apologized. "...I was just asking..." Now I felt bad since I forgotten that her phone isn't working anymore.

"It's fine," she sighed. "Let's just throw as much garlic powder as we can. If we keep throwing this stuff at them, maybe they'll die." As we went to grab more hand full of garlic, one of the vampires transformed back into a bat, landing on her head. "Bat in my hair, bat in my hair, bat in my hair!" She flared her arms around, dropping the container, the garlic powder spilling everywhere.

Taking the bat out of her hair, I threw it at the vampires, hitting one of them in the face, knocking the vampire onto the ground. The vampire let out a nasty hiss, picking himself off the ground, and began to transform again, along with the others, turning back into bats.

"Uh... Hannah...?" I pointed at the bats, getting her attention. "I think they're more thirsty than ever..."

"Quick, grab as much garlic powder as you can," she said. Reaching down, she went to grab some, but one of the bats almost bit one of her hands, making her let out a short scream. "Yikes!" she cried out in alarm.

The bats let out ear piercing screeches, showing their fangs, flapping their wings very fast that our hair blew back behind us. They flapped closer and closer, with us slowly backing away, until we hit our backs against a building. And that's when I remembered something else.

Just like with werewolf bites that turn people into werewolves, vampire bites will turn people...

_Into vampires!_

"We gotta get out of here!" I panicked. "Vampire bites turn people, like us, into... vampires."

"But we're trapped," Hannah proclaimed. And that's when the bats started to attack us and we dropped to the ground. "Cover your neck!" she hollered over the screeching bats.

"Why?" I had to yell as well.

"That's where they bite!" Quickly, we cover our necks with our hands. "Help!" she yelled out. "We're being attacked by bats!" Never in my life did I hear such fear in her voice. Most of the time I see her help stop the monsters. "Dad, Zach, anyone, help us!"

"How are they gonna find us at this place?" I questioned in my hollering voice.

Hannah picked up her head, seeing something. "Quick, into that barn!" Brushing the bats off of her, she picked herself up, helping me off the ground, shooing the bats away. "This way," she said.

Running away from the vampire bats, we made it to the building with a sign that reads _**Bat Barn**_.

"What's a _Bat Barn_?" I asked. Not waiting for her answer, I grabbed the handle of the door and opened it.

"Duck!" Hannah declared, bending down.

"Huh?" I looked into the barn. "Whoa!" A huge swarm of bats flew out and I ducked, covering my head and neck.

By the time they cleared away, we ran into the barn, closing the door. Not a lot of moonlight came in, though. So it was kind of dark. "Were those vampires that turned into bats, or were they _just _bats?" I said.

"I'm not sure..." she replied. "I think they're just bats." She leaned her back against the wall. "Now we just wait for dad and the others. They're looking for the book, and since I didn't call him, he'll start to worry. If we had a chance, they might end up here."

"Are those bats gonna come back?" I can still feel the bat talons on my head.

"I hope not," Hannah answered.

"Well, we can't stay here for long in case they come back," I told her.

She nodded. "Good point. Let's just get out of this village and try not to get bitten." Opening the door, she poked her head out, looking around. "The coast is clear," she slightly whispered.

Stepping out of the barn, we only got a couple feet away, when all the bats swooped back into the barn, making us scream as we threw ourselves back in, the door slamming shut.

"Is there another door?" One bat swooped onto my shoulder and I smacked it away.

"Yeah, this way!" Hannah ran across the barn.

By the time we reached the other side, I grabbed the handle, opening the door, and we dived out of the barn. I got up and slammed the door shut behind us. "Well, that happened," I exclaimed after that experience. "I think we should find another building that has a phone."

"I don't think they have phones, Hazel," she said to me. "I haven't seen any payphones ever since we got here. How about we just go find dad and the others instead?" she suggested. "I'll tell him about what happened to my phone."

"Don't forget to ask him if I can stay with you guys," I reminded as we began walking. And while we began to leave out of this village, the rain began to clear away. But that didn't change my depressed mood.

"Don't worry, I won't forget. Now let's go find the others." We stepped out of the village and began to look for the others.

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

"Why hasn't Hannah called me yet?" I held my phone in my hand all while looking for the book. "She was supposed to call me when she finds Hazel," I said.

"Maybe her phone battery died," Zach theorized.

"Or a Horror _took_ it," Champ shivered.

Those words sent chills down my spine and I stopped. "Zach, Champ, we'll have to look for the girls first and then find the book so we can put everything back in there. Including that lying and annoying Boy."

They both stopped walking and turned to me. "Are you sure...?" Champ seemed to hesitate.

"I'm sure," I stated with a firm nod. "They may be in one of the other areas at the park." I looked around, until I spotted a sign that says _**Carnival Of**_ _**Screams**_."This way, you two." I began to walk there, hearing one of the boys' footsteps, and as I walked I turned to see Zach was right behind me except for Champ, who stayed at his spot. With an annoyed look, I stomped over to him. "Let's go," I ordered in a slight harsh voice.

"You guys go there, I'll look for the book," he told us, not budging at all. So not wanting to argue, I grabbed the kid by the ear again. "_OW!" _he screamed as I forced him to come with us, keeping a tight grip on his ear. "Stine, I don't want to go to that area," Champ wailed. Of course, I ignored his pleas, not wanting to hear it. I gave him a harsh look.

"Champion, I need to see if the girls are okay, alright?" I replied through clenched teeth. "If something bad ever happened to them, I'll not have a good life anymore." That made him shut up and he winced in pain when I gripped his ear even tighter in case he tries to get out of my grasp.

"So you think that Hannah and Hazel are in here?" Zach asked, shoving his hands into his pockets of his hoodie.

I shrugged. "I'm sure..." I answered honestly.

"You know, not only you're worried about your own daughter..." he began to bring up. "...but you also seem to treat Hazel the same way."

"I know," I replied. "I just wish I knew why she got angry and upset at us when she thinks that we're not her friends." I sighed. "Hannah did say she wants answers from her, and I hope she did. I hate seeing Hazel so unhappy... I wonder what happened to her."

"And I guess it wasn't a good idea just to leave her alone," he pointed out the mistake we've made.

"You're right." By the time we got to the _Carnival Of Screams_, I released Champ's ear, and he began to rub the pain away.

"My ear is gonna be sore tomorrow," he complained once he finished. He looked around. "I don't like this place," he whimpered with a shiver. "I'm gonna go," he said, turning around.

"Oh no, you don't." I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, yanking him back. "Not until we find the girls," I told him. While I held him by the shirt, I saw a ride not too far from us that reads _Calamity Canyon_. "They could be over there," I pointed. And while Zach didn't refuse to come with me, I had to drag the awkward teen to that ride.

Champ gasped once we got there. "A roller coaster?!" he freaked out. "We're not going on that thing, are we?!" He began to sweat. "I hate roller coasters!" he cried with fear. "Even kiddie coasters," he added.

Feeling bad for him, I changed my demeanor. "We're not going on it," I assured him, releasing him. "We'll just go see of Hannah and Hazel are there, okay?"

"You sure...?" he said in a quivering voice.

"I'm sure," I promised. "I don't lie."

"Except when you did that to the cops," Zach brought up.

"Thanks, Zach." I rolled my eyes. "Come on, we won't know if the girls are here if we just, well... stand here." I walked over to the ride. "Hazel? Hannah?" I stepped onto the platform. "Hazel? Hannah? Are you two in here?" I walked over to where the tracks a train for people to get on so they can ride the ride. "Hello?" I called out. "Huh," I shrugged. "They don't seem to be here," I confirmed.

"Do you see them, boys?" I asked them once they came up to me.

Zach shook his head. "I don't see them, either," he replied.

"Me neither," Champ also replied back.

"God, where are they?" I raked my fingers through my chestnut hair. "Maybe they're over by the _Dead Ringer_..." I thought out loud. "Or maybe... over at the _Wheel Of Misfortune_. Or could they be over at the _Bumper Carnage_." I kept on thinking, pacing around, rubbing my chin with my index finger and thumb. I began to get very worried for those two.

"They could be over at the _Ghost Train_," Champ brought up.

I gave him a suspicious look. "How do you know about that ride?"

"I have the _Goosebumps Horrorland _game for my Nintendo Wii," he explained to me. "Plus, I know the other rides from reading the _Goosebumps Horrorland _series. I also know about the attractions like _The Wolfsbane Forest_, which I believe Hazel was at before we saved her and when she got mad at us. Good thing she didn't get attacked by the rare werewolf which is called the White Wolf."

"Oh," I understood. "That makes sense..." I said, nodding my head. "Okay, we'll check over at the _Ghost Train_ and see if they're over there. If not, we'll keep looking around here." I started walking with Zach at my right side with a worried look on his face. I can tell he's concerned about the girls just as much as I am. I look back to see Champ standing around for a little bit. "Champ." I gestured my head for him to come with us.

Champ looked behind him as if they would appear over at the tracks, then started walking. "I wish Taylor was here," he muttered. I was glad that I didn't have to force him over to that ride because when we got to that area, the girls aren't there, either. "I was hoping they'll be here," he stated, scratching his head. "After all, Hannah's a ghost."

"She _was _a ghost, Champ," I corrected him. "I wrote her back to where she can age with Zach and all the other kids," I explained.

"Oh." He nodded. "Should we check over at the _Horrorland Derby_?" he suggested with a hint of nervousness.

"Yeah," I replied. "We'll check there, and if they are not there, we'll check over at the _Monster Mash_." Walking away from the _Ghost Train_, we all made our way over to the _Horrorland Derby_, and saw that they weren't there, either. There is a Horror, though, so I went up to him. "Have you seen two girls?" I asked him, even though he scares me. "One has short, light brown hair that stops at her shoulders, has hazel colored eyes, wearing yellow shirt and jeans and blue-ish sneakers. And the other one has dark brown hair in a ponytail, brown eyes, a denim hoodie, along with jeans as well, and sneakers that are the color of white with light blue stripes," I described to him.

The Horror shook his fury, green head, rubbing his left horn. "No girls came here," he stated. "By the way... would you like to try the _Horrorland Derby_?" He gestured his hand at the game.

"Um... no thanks," I declined. "We'll just keep on looking," I said. I turned to the boys. "Let's go," I whispered. "Let's see if the girls are over at the _Monster Mash_." We started walking over that area. Only when we got there, we looked around at the _Horrorland Derby_. Except, they weren't not here, either. "Where can they be?" I questioned out loud. "Could they be over at the _Terrible Teacups _or at the _Ferris Squeal_?" I began to pace around again.

"Well, if they aren't at the rides and games that we already checked, how can we be sure if they'll be at _those _rides?" Zach crossed his arms as questioned me. "They could be somewhere else," he said.

"Maybe you're right," I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "They might be at _The Tunnel Of Screams_..."

"Oh no, not that place." Champ shook his head. "Isn't that the tunnel that walk you through with worms dropping from above and you can hear... screaming around you?" he asked.

"Yes, Champ," I answered. "That's why it's called _The Tunnel Of Screams_. Come on." I began walking. "I have high hopes that they will be there," I said.

"Can we go somewhere with a ride that is... oh I don't know... _less _scary?" Champ asked, catching up to me since I was speed walking down the path.

"What kind of ride would be less scary, Champ?" Zach replied. "This is _Horrorland_, remember?" He gestured his hands at the rides and games that we went up to, even the _Terrible Teacups _and the _Ferris Squeal_. "Besides, the book might be at the tunnel," he believed. "Right?" he asked me.

I raised my brow. "Could be..." I responded feeling very doubtful. "I just want to see if the girls went through there," I shrugged.

So we continued on our way to _The Tunnel Of Screams_.

When we got there, we stared at the large tunnel that is the shape of a skull with empty eye sockets. Champ's teeth chattered with fear. "I have a bad feeling about this..." Ignoring him, I started towards the tunnel when he grabbed me by the sleeve. "Do we have to go in there?" he whimpered, biting his bottom lip. "I can stay out of the tunnel in case the girls come here," he offered so he can have an excuse to stay out of the tunnel.

"If you don't come with us, I'll pull your ear. Again," I threatened the kid.

He blinked. "I'm gonna run," he said. He turned and ran, just like he stated.

Of course, he didn't get very far when I went after him, grabbing him by the ear. "There's no use running away, kid," I stated, hauling him towards the tunnel. "We have to find the girls, and if Zach is right, the book _might _be in there. Now..." I forced him to face me. "...are you in? Or are you _in_?" I glared at him, waiting for his answer.

"Um...what should I choose...?" he began to think. "In or _in_..."

"Oh, good God, man!" Getting fed up by him by the minute of each second, I clenched my fingers around the collar of his shirt, and both me and Zach headed to the entrance of the tunnel with Champ struggling to get free from my grasp. I almost smirked since he doesn't have a lot of strength then I do. "Don't fight me, kid," I warned. "I told you, there's no use running away. So do you promise to not run off again?"

"Y-Yes, sir," he quickly nodded.

I squinted my eyes at him. "...I don't believe you," I said. After I said that, he continued struggling to get free, not wanting to go into that tunnel.

"Stine, I promise I won't run off." I gave him a disbelief look in his eyes and he switched his gaze away from me. "Really," he insisted.

I released him. "Okay..." I nodded. "But-" I raised my finger. "-if you try to head off again, I'll... I'll..." I try to think of another threat. "Ugh! I can't think of anything! All I want to do is fine the girls, get the book, so we can trap everything in it. I can't believe that the Boy lied to us."

"I'm hungry..." Champ complained.

"So am I. Hey, maybe there's snacks in Hazel's backpack." Zach pointed at the backpack that had been hanging by one strap on my left shoulder. I had forgotten that I had that thing. "She did say that she packed things for us to survive the night," he stated.

"Okay, but we need to walk through the tunnel and then we can eat," I said.

"But I want food now!"

I glared at Champ. "And how old are you?" I asked him.

"...sixteen..." he muttered. "But I haven't eaten all day," he told me. "I think I'm gonna _die _with starvation!" he declared. "In fact, we're _all _gonna die!" He then buried his face into his hands. "We're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna-"

"We're not gonna die!" Zach yelled.

He took his face out of his hands. "We're gonna die!" he declared again, freaking out.

"Here." I tossed him an apple that was in Hazel's backpack that I'd opened. "She does have snacks in here. Would that fruit make you shut the hell up?" He was about to answer, but I interrupted him.

"Good," I said. I zipped the backpack shut. "Let's get going." I began walking into the tunnel. I looked to make sure that both of them were behind me, and they are.

While we walked into the tunnel, horrified screams surrounded us. "I hope you girls are okay..." I wished.

"Ah!" I stopped when I heard Champ scream and I spun around.

"What? What is it?" I walked over to him.

"A worm dropped on my apple..." He plucked the worm off, tossing it to the ground. "Great, there's worm slime on it." He tossed the apple to the side, until another one plop in front of us, landing on the ground. Then another and another, until it began raining worms.

"Let's get out of here!" Zach exclaimed.

"Good idea," I agreed and we began running, the worms falling all around us, even on our heads and shoulders.

"I hate worms!" Champ proclaimed. "In fact, I hate all bugs. Even _butterflies_!" I can hear the boys shoes clattering on the ground with Champ still proclaiming with fear. "Why can't we go to a fun amusement park?" he said.

"Because we need to get rid of _this_ park," I responded over my shoulder. By the time we made it out, we stopped to catch our breath. "Well, _that _was terrifying," I exclaimed once I manage to regain my breathing. "Let's just hope that the girls don't walk through that," I pointed at _The Tunnel Of Screams_. "Plus, I didn't spot the book, did you?"

Zach and Champ shook their heads as the took the worms out of their hair and off their shoulders.

"No," they answered.

I sighed. "I thought so..." I took the worms off my shoulders and out of my hair. "I basically need a shower to get all the worm slime out of my hair," I said.

Champ threw the last worm onto the ground. "I think I lost my appetite..." He looked at the worms that are now wriggling away back into the tunnel, making him shiver. "I probably won't eat apples for a few weeks," he shuddered.

"Man... where can those girls be?" I repeated the question, then I snapped my fingers. "I know, they might be at the _Werewolf Village_," I proclaimed.

"Are we gonna go into _The Wolfsbane Forest_?" Champ questioned with another shiver. "I don't want to be face to face with the White Wolf."

"No, but we can check the other attractions that are there," I clarified, and began walking. "Besides, the book might be at those areas..." I paused. "So let's go over there now, and to see if the girls or the book is there, got it?" I said, looking at the boys.

"Got it," Zach replied.

"Can we split up?" Champ asked. "I don't want to go _Werewolf Village_."

"I said this twice before I believe, so I'm going to say it again. We're in this together, kid," I ignored his suggestion.

"But-" he started to protest and I kept on ignoring him with Zach walking along side me. "Guys, come on..." He began to catch up with us. "Why don't we just wait for them?"

I immediately stopped, turned, and cast a sharp glare at Champ. "Are you out of your mind?" I walked up to him. "If we wait for the girls, the Invisible Boy is going to do more havoc if we don't get everything back in the book. In fact, I believe he's doing it now. But I'm not sure since he's invisible."

"But we might never find the book," he stated, gesturing at all the areas.

"Yes, we will," I replied. "The book is here somewhere at this park, and the girls are around here somewhere. So let's keep on going. Forget about having a rest break and let's find the girls, then the book so I can get everything in it." Turning around, I began to hurry off.

"Wait for us," Zach called out from behind me as I heard them run up to me, then began to follow me to _Werewolf Village_.

"I hope we don't run into werewolves," Champ mumbled with a shake of his head. "This is the worst night ever..." He kicked a rock out of his way.

"I hope that the girls are there," I responded. Then I thought: Hannah, Hazel, if you aren't over there, then... where are you?

Where are you, girls?

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

We trudged on the path, looking for Stine and the boys, but with no luck. My shoulders slumped and I turned to Hannah. "Sorry that I'd got angry at you guys," I apologized, and I mean it. "I know it wasn't right at all... You were right about Slappy and the Invisible Boy. I shouldn't have ever listened to those two. And since you asked me if I was okay as we were coming to this creepy park and I told you I was having...flashback of my...childhood, and told you to forget about it... Well, the reason is..." I slumped my shoulders a bit lower, looking down at the ground as we continued to walk. "...that I was afraid that you won't believe me..."

"Why wouldn't I believe you?" she questioned me with surprise. "Hazel, you should tell us if something is bothering you. Besides, it might be a problem, too. Having flashbacks from traumatic events can be serious. I learned that in health class at school that I take," she told me. "Unless it keeps on happening," she added.

I shoved my hands into my pockets of my jeans. "...They only happened in my dreams... but now I'm getting them when I'm not sleeping... and they only did...twice, I think..." I replied, before letting out a sad sigh. "Although, I did have a dream in the car..." I brought up.

Her brows went up. "What kind of dream?" she inquired.

"About you and Zach," I mentioned, pulling my hands out of my pockets, my hair almost covering my face as my head dipped a bit lower. "I dreamt that I was at that abandoned amusement park, and you were there, smiling and waving me to come over to you. In that dream, you wanted a hug from me, so I shook my head, and you told me that with just one hug, I might get used to physical contact since I don't like to be touched anymore thanks to my god father... And so, I went to do it when..." I had to squeeze my eyes shut because they began to water, forcing them to dry. "...you shoved me to the ground. You called me ugly and I also think you said worthless, too. You even told Zach that I was a... thing. And told him lies just like Travis did to his parents, which again are my god parents, and at the end of the dream... I got kicked in the face."

"I'm sorry to hear that... But me and my friends will never fib at you," she said sincerely. "My wish is that you would be happy again. You could be suffering with depression..."

"Maybe..." I shrugged. "Only how can you be sure? You're not a doctor," I questioned.

"No, I'm not a doctor, but you could sure you one in case you have depression or anything else," she advised. "That's another thing I'll tell my dad."

"Alright," I merely repeated with the same frown on my face. "Maybe they went in there," I pointed to a sign that reads _**Carnival Of Screams**_.

"Maybe..." Hannah repeated, not feeling very sure. "But we won't know unless we check, right?" she said turning to glance at me.

"Right," I confirmed, feeling a bit more confident with a serious look that I most likely held. We both went into the _Carnival Of Screams_, and the first ride we went up to is _Calamity Canyon_, which is a roller coaster that has a train on the track.

"Want to ride?" We both jump and turned to see a Horror right behind us. "Want to ride?" he repeated his questioned.

"Uh...no thank you," I declined.

"We're wondering if my dad and the boys came here," Hannah added.

"Sorry, didn't see them. I was on break," the Horror explained and gestured his hand at the train. "Want to ride?"

"You already said that..." I told him. "...three times," I added.

"Yeah? So?" he responded with crossed arms. "Look, since you're here, why don't you have a ride?" he suggested. "Just one ride."

I looked at Hannah. "Run." After I said that, we both took off.

"Hey!" the Horror exclaimed. "Come back here, humans!" he hollered.

We kept on running until we stopped at a tunnel, catching our breaths. "If they weren't..." I puffed, filling my lungs up with air. "...over at the _Calamity Canyon_, then I doubt that they are at any of the other rides and attractions."

"I believe you," Hannah agreed once she caught her breath then saw a sign that is above the tunnel. "_The Tunnel Of Screams_..." she read. "Hey!" she declared. "They could've walked through there..."

"And went to the other side," I finished, getting where Hannah was at. "Come on." We both walked into the tunnel with screams all around us. "If they're still at the other side, then we-" I was cut off when something wet and slimy fell on my head. My eyes widened when I reached and grabbed something out of my hair, lowering it to my eyes. "_Ew, it's a worm!"_ I screamed, dropping it onto the floor.

"Hazel, it was just one-" A worm fell on Hannah's shoulder, cutting her off. "Huh...?" She looked up and so did I. The ceiling was covered with worms and they began falling to the ground. "Run!" she cried.

We ran full speed across the tunnel the screams piercing in our ears and the worms continuing to fall of the ceiling, barely missing our heads, plopping onto the ground.

Once we made it out of the tunnel, we stopped to catch our breath again. I looked around for Stine and the boys. "They're not here," I reported.

"Then where can they be?" Hannah questioned out loud. I can tell she was worried, especially with her dad.

That was the thing I wanted to ask as well.

Where could they be...?


	13. Chapter 13: Werewolf Village

**Chapter 13: Werewolf Village**

* * *

I looked around, trying to figure out where Stine and the others could be. I placed my hand on the tunnel, then yelped when a worm slithered on it. "Uh..." I spoke, flicking the worm off my hand, "...let's go somewhere else and to find the others," I suggested, getting grossed out by the slimy bugs. "I don't want anymore worms crawling up on me." I shivered.

Hannah nodded. "Good idea," she responded, agreeing with me. "They could be anywhere." She let out a sigh. "I hope my dad doesn't have a panic attack..." she said. "Plus, I don't want to be in Horrorland anymore, either."

"Same," I replied. "I mean, they could be over there..." I pointed at a sign that reads _**Werewolf Village**_. "...or over there..." I then pointed at the sign that says _**Fever Swamp**_, which looks like a water park. "...or they can be over there." I also pointed at a sign that says _**Black Lagoon Water Park**_. I ran my hand over my face. "They can be anywhere. Do you think they're looking for us , too?" I asked.

"I'm not sure," Hannah answered in an honest voice. "Plus, I'm hungry, too," she added. "I hadn't eaten all day long," she slightly complained.

"So am I." My stomach growled with hunger. "I shouldn't have thrown my backpack at you guys and not run off..." I let out a frustrated moan. "Again, I'm sorry for yelling at you guys," I repeated my apology. "It wasn't right for me to do that."

Hannah was about to place her hand on my shoulder and stopped, letting it dropped to her side. "Don't apologize anymore, Hazel," she assured me with a light grin. "You were just angry, that's all. At least your face didn't do the red thing like my dad's face when he gets angry. Come on, maybe the guys went into _Werewolf Village_." She gestured her hand for me to follow her.

Not hesitating for one second, I went with her, shoving my hands back into my pants pockets, blowing my hair out of my face. We didn't talk for a whole two minutes until I spoke up. "What happened in the house between you and Stine?"

"What?" She gave me a questioning look.

"You and Stine," I repeated, keeping my eyes straight ahead. "It just came to me, because I was doing my final walk a few nights ago when I heard you and Stine arguing," I explained. "So not to make sure you or your dad not to see me, I spied you guys from the other side of the fence, standing at the side of Zach's house, and that's..." I paused for a second.

"And that's?" Hannah continued, waiting patiently for me what to say next. "Go on," she urged lightly, and I felt her stare at me. Not in a bad way, a good way. Calm way, to be exact.

"And that's when I heard you screaming bloody hell," I continued to explain. I felt tears emerging in my eyes. "I thought Stine was beating you... just like Jeff did to me. But when I asked Stine if he was abusing you, he gave me a shock look, and told me that he wasn't hurting you..." I breathed in and out my nose. "All I wanted to ask is..." I looked at Hannah who continued to give me that relax stare. "...what happened in that house? Really?" I insisted. "Why did you scream like that? Because it freaked me and your boyfriend out."

Hannah let out a heavy breath and responded to my question. "Alright, I'll tell you. Remember when I was glowing blue when the moonlight shined on me. You know? At the school? It even happened at the graveyard when you were up ahead with dad and Champ when Zach was walking with me."

"...yeah..." I nodded, remembering the scene at the school, but didn't know that she also glowed blue at the graveyard. "I saw that and found out right away that you are a ghost. Actually... Are you still a ghost? Because I'm not sure if you told if you're a living person or if you're still a ghost... Oh wait, you _did _told me. Sorry...I forgot..."

"That's okay. Well, my dad rewrote me back into the world where I can age with Zach and everyone about my age," she told me. "Anyway..." Hannah went back to explain that very night on why'd she let out that frightening scream. "...when I came back from my secret hideout, my dad wasn't happy with me, feeling disappointed that I didn't stay away from Zach. We were up in the study room, and I kept trying to tell dad that he needs to stop being so overprotective of me.

'Dad, it's not a big deal...' I told him as he was pacing around the study room with me nearby the window that is directed towards Zach's house.

'Hannah, you have to understand...' Dad tried to reason with me, but I wasn't having it.

'I don't have to understand anything!' I raised my voice, getting all worked up. 'We were just talking,' I exclaimed. 'Why can't I have friends?' I asked him.

He sent me an angry look. 'You know _why_!' he yelled, gesturing his hand over at the bookshelf that are filled with his books.

I gave him a frustrated look. 'That's not fair!' I protested, my voice high and shrill. 'You can't keep me locked up all the time,' I said.

'You are _never_ allowed to see that boy _ever_ again!' His angry look turned into a glare as he came up to me. _'Do you understand me?!'_ he bellowed as he got in my face, throwing his hands in the air, having my frustrated look being replaced with fear. I never liked it when he gets angry at me. _**'Ever!'**_ he repeated.

'Dad, please calm down...' I begged in a pleading tone of voice, seeing him go over to the bookshelf, scanning the row of books that are on the shelves until he pulled one out. He didn't say anything as he grabbed the manuscript key off his desk, and right away, I knew what he was about to do. _**'No!'**_ I let out a cry that escaped my mouth.

And just as he was about to unlock the book, he suddenly tripped over the lamp cord, falling to the floor, causing the lamp to make a loud _crash_ sound right next to him, with me letting out a scream when the lights cut out, raising my hands as if to shield myself, as the room went into darkness. In the darkness, I heard my dad get up, setting the lamp back on the table, which somehow didn't break, when the room was being filled with light again once he plugged the end of the lamp cord back into the wall.

Picking up the book, which is _my_ book, and the key off the floor, his glare disappeared from him when he looked at me when he saw a terrified expression on my face.

I was breathing heavily, dropping my hands back down onto my sides. And we stared at each other. Dad opened his mouth to say something when we heard a knock at the front door. It sounded frantic. He set the key under the clear glass that he keeps it in that is on his desk as well, along with putting my book back on the shelf, and pointed at me. 'Go to your room,' he ordered in a strict tone of voice.

'Why?' I questioned him. 'It could be Zach...' My voice trailed off when he came up to me, pointing out of the study room with his finger.

'Go. To. Your. Room,' he repeated through gritted teeth. 'Now," he added. 'Don't come out unless I say so,' he instructed.

Not wanting him to get angry at me for not doing a simple task, I did so. I walked into my bedroom, closing the door, hearing my dad stomp down the steps to answer the front door.

'What? What?' Dad said from downstairs.

I can hear Zach in a concerned manner. 'I heard a scream. Is Hannah okay?' he replied. I wanted to go downstairs very badly to see him. But if I do, I'll get in big trouble.

'There was no scream,' my dad stated, pretending that our arguing and my scream had never happened. 'You didn't hear anything. Get out of here, or the last scream you'll hear will be your own.' I flinched when I heard the front door slam shut.

In my room, I heard Zach beating on the front door. 'Let me see Hannah! I need to see if she's okay! Let me in the house, you psychopath!' The pounding on the door got louder and louder. 'I said-'

He was cut off as my dad screamed, _**'Get away from the door, NOW! You are never seeing my daughter, EVER! Do you understand me?! I'm warning you!'**_ I jumped when he slammed the door again, then heard him climb up the stairs. 'Hannah?' he called out.

Instead of answering, I went over to my bed and lied down on top of my covers that are on the mattress.

'Hannah?' I heard my bedroom door opened, then heard his shoes as he came over to me. 'Hannah?' he said. I still didn't answer and put one of my pillows over my face. I felt him sat on the bed. 'Hannah... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get angry at you... But things will get better...'

'You say that all the time,' I muffled.

'Hm?' Dad questioned.

'You say that all the time!' I repeated, sitting up, throwing the pillow across the bed which ended up on the floor instead. 'You always say 'things will get better',' I quoted with my fingers. 'You know, this is getting ridiculous. We keep moving from one town to the next, and you always keep me indoors for every twenty four hours each day! I want to make friends, but you-' I pointed at him. '-wouldn't let me! At all!'

Dad's eyes filled with sorrow. 'Hannah, you need to understand. If you go out, people will find out what you are,' he reasoned with me. 'And my secret,' he added.

'I don't care about your damn secret!' I yelled, getting all fed up.

'Hannah Fairchild Stine, don't you _ever_ say that word at me again!' He pointed at me. 'You know why I'm strict with you. You know why I'm overprotective of you. I was picked on during my younger years because of my allergies that I had to stay indoors.'

'And what makes you think that people will start making fun of me?' I argued. 'Dad, I won't know unless you allow me to make friends in this town,' I explained to him.

'There are a lot of bad people out in this world, sweetheart,' he told me gently as I turned my body around, staring down at the floor. 'And do you remember what happened back in Chicago?' he asked, changing the subject all of the sudden. 'Back in two thousand and ten? You know? Five years ago?'

I nodded. 'Slappy got out of his book and released all the monsters,' I recalled, rolling my eyes.

'That's right, and with a help with someone, too,' he recalled as well.

I gave him a confused look. 'Who?'

He shrugged. 'I don't remember her name,' he answered honestly. 'However it wasn't Hazel since she has light brown hair that stops at her shoulders. The girl I met who was in the library distracting Slappy at the Town Centre Galleria, she was twelve at the time and she had dark, brown eyes and short black hair. Shorter then Hazel's. She does have an older brother, though. I don't know his name, either.'

'...oh,' was all I replied. 'I wish I knew who they were, but... I guess I was asleep in the car...'

'And that's a good thing,' he pointed out. 'And luckily, it was a cloudy night, too,' he remembered, chuckling. 'Of course, that girl knew who I was right away when she saw me.'

'Really?' I gave him a disbelief look.

'Yep, before I went on calling myself Shivers, I went by-' A knock came at the front door again. Dad narrowed his eyebrows. 'God, can't that kid ever take a hike?' He turned back to me. 'Stay here.' He got up and went to see who it is.

I heard the door open and got up from my bed, pacing around the room as I heard different voices from downstairs, along with my dad answering questions. I then heard Zach yelling for my name and I stopped pacing around, until I heard a male voice and not my dad's.

Minutes later, he came back into my room. 'Was that Zach?' I asked him, hopefully.

He let out an exasperated sigh. '...yes, that was him, and he called the cops on me. And I have to lie, saying that you moved back with your mother in London.'

'Great job, dad,' I responded back in a sarcastic voice. 'So you didn't let him see me?' I questioned him with crossed arms over my chest.

'That's right," he strictly answered, until his phone rang. He answered it. 'Hello?'

'Uh, hi,' a voice spoke. 'We want to talk about the domestic disturbance that happened tonight. Mind if you come to the station?'

Dad looked at me and went back to the phone. 'Sure, I'll be there.'

'Thank you, sir. We'll see you there. Bye.' There was a beep sound when the person hung up.

'Who was it?' I asked dad as he put his phone in his pocket.

'The police asked me to come to the station,' he told me. 'Stay here and I'll be back.'

'Okay,' I nodded.

"And so that's what happened and why he's so overprotective of me," Hannah finished. "And when my dad went to the police station, I heard voices in the study room. At first when I grabbed the baseball bat I thought some burglars broke into the house." She chuckled. "I didn't know it was you three." Hannah glanced at me, noticing my confused expression. "What?" she said.

"Slappy released the monsters before you and Stine moved to Madison, Delaware? And some girl helped him?" I asked.

"Yeah," she answered with a nod, "six years ago. Like I said, he told me he doesn't remember her name nor her brother's name. I think he had a phone call from her, saying that she needs help or something to stop that evil dummy."

I shivered. "I hate ventriloquist dummies… they freak me out," I replied. "Even dolls," I added.

"Did you know my god brother actually forced me to watch a horror movie about a possessed doll? It was an old movie, but it was terrifying. It was called _Child's Play_." I kicked a rock out my way. "I even begged him to turn it off, only he wouldn't. And that's when I got upset and tried to take the remote from him. He was twelve when I was five, so he was bigger than me."

"What year was that when you were five and when your god brother is twelve?" Hannah asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not sure..." I responded honestly. "I'm not good at remembering dates," I explained. "Anyway..." I sighed. "We were fighting over the remote since I don't want to watch the movie anymore, and he threw it at the TV, making the remote make a large scratch on the screen, causing the television not to work anymore..." I paused. "...and when Kelly and Jeff came to ask, Travis..."

"Let me guess..." Hannah added. "He lied to them, saying that you broke it. Even when you never did it at all."

"That's right..." I confirmed sadly.

"Did they believe him?"

My eyes widen a bit before I looked at her. "Of _course_ they believed him!" I cried somewhat loudly and stopped walking and she did the same. "They _always_ believe him! Every time when something goes wrong at the household, he tells them stupid fibs to my god parents! Especially to Jeff! And I hate it!"

"Okay, okay," she replied after my rant. "Sorry that I asked. To me, your god brother sounds like an ass," she commented.

"And he's _still_ an ass," I remarked.

"What if you run into him?" she replied.

"I _hope_ I don't run into him," I clarified as we began walking again. "I mean, seriously, if I run into him, bad things will start happening again." Another sigh slipped out my lips. "I wish I can use Stine's magic typewriter and write a story about him and his family so I can suck them into a book. That way I won't have to worry anymore. In fact, a few nights ago when I was walking back to my house, I saw theirs... But I didn't go near it, I just...walked away from it in case they see me."

"You should tell the police," Hannah suggested as if my god parents are out to find me.

"The police are stupid," I muttered under my breath. "Besides... it was a long time ago since I

ran away from home," I told her my irritated mood being replaced with depression.

"Boy... you switch moods a lot," she commented on my different expressions that I keep receiving. "Not only that I think you might be suffering from depression, I feel like you're bipolar or something."

I scoffed a bit. "Where did you learn that?"

"Health class," she shortly answered. "Just like I mentioned before. It's something that I learned in school." She then began thinking. "If you want to, I can also ask my dad if he can enroll you in school..."

"No," I responded, holding my hand up. "I don't want to go to school anymore. If I do, I'll end up reliving my awful experiences. Plus, I might run into my old classmates again..."

"How would you know?" she slightly questioned me with a raised brow.

"I just do," I answered unnervingly, looking at the ground, listening to the sound of our shoes hitting the pavement of the Horrorland path that we are on.

"Hazel, you won't know if you-"

_**"I said, NO!"**_ I cut her off in an aggravating tone of voice which shocked her. "I'm sorry..." I calmed down. "It's just that...I don't want to go through the same thing," I explained to her. "Alright?" I said.

"...Alright," she agreed. Then added, "I hope the guys are at _Werewolf Village_."

"I hope we don't run into werewolves," I added in as well.

And we continued on our way to _Werewolf Village_.

* * *

When we finally arrived, we entered, seeing lots of different buildings like the clothing store called _Fur Sure!_ And another one that looks like a spa, which is called _Moment Of Paws_ as we walked by them.

Around us we heard howls over at _The Werewolf Petting Zoo_ and _The Wolfsbane Forest_. The forest I was previously after I went down the _Doom Slide_. I hope the gates still locked... I don't want to get attacked by werewolves again.

As we continued walking, we were surprised to see a female Horror coming up to us wearing a dirty apron with stains all over it, walking out of a restaurant that was in front of us, causing us to stop at our tracks once she stood in front of us.

"Hey there," she greeted in a gruff voice. "Would you like to have a bite over at _Wolf It Down_?" she asked us, gesturing at the restaurant with her large, green fury hand. "It's the only vegetarian werewolf restaurant in Horrorland. We specialize tofu one-armed shepherd pie, cub club cheese sandwiches, and-"

"We're not hungry," I told her, cutting her off, even though I was starving. I really don't want to have any Horrorland food.

"Aw, come on," she encouraged with a toothy smile, almost like a werewolf. "You girls look like you haven't eaten all night."

"We're not hungry," I repeated in a slight rude tone of voice. My stomach rumbled and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed as she let out a throaty laugh. She actually sounded like a werewolf when she does that.

"Come on, girls, I don't want you to starve." She reached out to grab us with her fury green hands.

"_No!_" My outburst caused the Horror to give out a gasp. "Don't you dare touch us!" I warned, glaring into her eyes. "We're looking for three guys. Have you seen them?" I questioned her.

"Just a minute ago," she answered.

Hannah stepped forward. "Which way did they go?" she asked, standing at my side, eyes locked on the Horror.

"They went..." She pointed at the direction. "...that way," she told us. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?" she replied.

"Like Hazel said, we're not hungry," Hannah informed her, then turned to me, putting her hand at the side of her mouth, and silently said, "I'm starving."

"So am I," I repeated from earlier also covering the side of my mouth, saying it silently where the Horror can't hear it. I looked back at the Horror. "Thank you," I responded to her direction that she pointed.

She notice my facial expression. "You okay?" she asked me.

"I'm fine," I responded in a snippy voice my depressed mood switching to anger. I turned to Hannah. "Let's go," I said, wanting to get away from the green, fury monster. "Let's go and keep on searching for Stine and boys."

"Good idea," she replied.

We then burst into a run, hearing the Horror hollering at us. "Come back here and have something to eat!"

We're not hungry, I repeated in my mind. We then stopped, taking deep breaths. "Okay, she stated that they went that way," I pointed, referring to the direction that was told to us. "They probably went in one of those buildings," I stated.

"You might be right," Hannah agreed, gazing at the buildings. "Let's check in there." I looked to see the building she was pointing at.

_"Wolfgang's Music Shop?"_ I questioned.

She nodded. "Yeah, we can check to see if the guys are in there," she answered, walking towards the building. "If not, we can ask a freaky Horror that works there in case he or she saw them," she said, not stopping that I had to catch up with her.

"You know," I brought up, "if they would've stayed over at the end of _The Tunnel Of Screams_, none of this would have ever happened," I complained.

"Well, dad did say that we should leave you alone, but I refused," Hannah replied by the time we got to the building. And when we opened the door, loud blasting music pierced into our eardrums. "Ow!" she cried from the loud sound. "This sound is worse than being trapped inside a book with all the monsters that Slappy released!" she hollered, covering her ears, but I can barely hear her.

"What?" I yelled as I covered my ears.

"I said, this sound is worse than being trapped inside the book with all the monsters that Slappy released!" she repeated much more loudly.

"What do you mean the sound is worse? Were the monsters going insane?" I pressed my hands over my ears more tightly as a loud, electric guitar solo came through the speakers. "You know, if someone doesn't turn this damn music off, I'm going to end up deaf!" I declared. I glanced over to see a Horror at the desk, bobbing his large head at the loud beat of drums after that guitar solo until it went back to instrumental.

_"We howl along as we sing this song."_ The singing came through the speakers in a loud growly tune.

_"We'll keep on howling all night long,"_ the Horror sang along to the loud singing from the speakers. _"Let's howl at the moon, and we'll jam until noon."_

Not wanting to lose my hearing, I walked over to him. "Hey!" I tried to yell over the music and song, but he kept bobbing his head at the rhythm, and didn't hear me. Like I said before, I am kind of quiet. _**"Hey!"**_ I forced out, louder this time. That made the Horror shut up and stopped singing and he was surprised to see me and Hannah. "Will you turn that down or shut the music off?" I requested. "We want to ask you something!"

Like I asked, he shut the music off. "You want to ask me something?" he repeated my words.

I rubbed the pain from my ears. Hannah also rubbed her ears as well. "Yes," I finally answered once the pain is gone, "we want to ask you something. Have you seen three guys? Were they here?"

"A few minutes ago," he responded. "Are you here to purchase some werewolf howl recordings of moon-themed songs on CD of the most famous all-werewolf band by _Howie And The Howlers_?" he asked, gesturing his hand over at a poster on one of the walls. "We have all their songs if you're interested," he said with a grin that I wish I can do.

"No, thank you..." I replied, feeling very uneasy from him due to his large size, reminding me of Jeff. "Do you know where they went?" I questioned him like a cop would do in case someone saw a murder run past them.

He shook his head. "Sorry, I wish I knew, but I turned the music back on so I wasn't paying attention." Figures. "If you want," he continued talking, "you can check over at _Over The Moon Souvenirs_, or..." He raised his finger. "...you can check at _Make Me Howl_."

"Thanks." After that, me and her stepped out of the building, hearing the music and song being played again. "I can't wait to trap everything in the book," I said to her.

"I can't wait, either," she replied, looking around. "I hope you know who isn't listening since he's...well... a fraud..." she whispered.

"And a menace," I added, referring to what Stine calls him. "Come on, let's check at _Over The Moon Souvenirs_." I began walking with Hannah right by my side. "Will I ever smile again?" The question just popped out of my mouth, along with a long frown on my face. "I don't know why I asked, but I just did. So... will I ever be happy again, Hannah?"

"I'm not sure," she responded. "However..." She turned to me. "...if I never see you smile... I won't mind. We don't mind if you can't smile anymore." She then sighed. "Although...I wish you _could_ smile."

"...maybe I'll smile someday," I replied with a short shrug of my shoulders.

By the time we reach _Over The Moon Souvenirs_, which is actually a gift shop, the bell on over our heads jingled as we entered, seeing a lot of werewolf-like souvenirs. I walked around, wanting to see if Stine and boys are here.

"Looking for something to buy?" I jumped and turned around to see a Horror next to me. This creepy amusement park is filled with these green, furry monsters. "We have silver bullet key-chains, wolf cub dolls..." A shiver ran down my spine when he said 'doll'. "...miniature _Werewolf Village_ play sets, a jar of authentic werewolf drool, _and..._" He held something up that was hanging at the back of his neck. "...we have wolf tooth necklaces." He let the tooth that was hanging on the string hit his chest as he dropped it. "So what would you like to have?" he asked with a toothy grin. "We have a lot of things that has to do with werewolves," he said in his growly voice. I bet all these Horrors have those voices.

"We're not here to buy anything," I told him, stepping back due to his large size. "Me and her-" I pointed at Hannah. "-are looking for three guys. One adult and two teenagers," I said. "Were they here or not?" I was getting tired of looking for them, and I hope they're looking for us, too.

"A few minutes ago," the Horror answered, going over to one of the shelves that is display of wolf cub dolls. "You look like you need a stuffed animal to take home with you," he grinned.

"We're not here to buy anything," Hannah repeated my words. She looked at me. "I can't wait to finish this 'challenge'," she mouthed.

I nodded, knowing what she meant. I looked back at the Horror. "Okay, we'll get going now," I said to him.

"Are you sure you don't want to buy anything?" the Horror replied, gesturing his hand at all the stuff, clutching the wolf cub doll. "This doll is made by real werewolf fur," he stated to us.

"No, thank you." I backed away from him. "We didn't bring any money, so... yeah...we're not here to buy anything." Hannah and I walked out the door. From outside, we looked inside the building. The Horror shrugged his large shoulders, and then we made our way to the next building. "You know, if they aren't over at the next place, I'm gonna start having an anger fit," I griped, clenching my hands into tight fists. "I'm getting tired of looking for them, I want to get everything in that damn book that we still cannot find, and," I added, "I want to punch that Invisible Boy in the face."

Hannah furrowed her brows. "How are you going to do that?" she questioned. "The Boy is invisible. There's no way you can punch him."

"I can," I responded to her question. "I actually hit him with my backpack that your dad has now," I explained to her.

She blinked. "Oh... I see..." And as we continued walking, she spoke again. "Are you still interested in staying with me and my dad? Cause I'm still gonna ask him if it's okay for you to live with us."

"...yeah..." I nodded my head. "Besides...I don't want to live on my own anymore," I expressed out. My stomach rumbled. "And I'm still hungry," I added, my face turning a bit red from embarrassment.

"Don't worry," she assured me. "Once we find my dad and the boys, we'll have a rest break. If we get one though."

I didn't reply. I just gazed ahead until we spotted Make Me Howl building. We got closer to it and I grabbed the doorknob, opening the door wide open. And upon opening it, I found out it was another shop. "Why is it called Make Me Howl?" I turned to Hannah and asked her. "I don't hear any howling..."

"Neither do I..." she returned, looking around. "Dad?" she called out. "Zach? Champ? Are you guys in here? Hello?" Silence. "Dad, are you here?" she repeated. "Guys?" she called out again.

"Huh..." She shrugged her shoulders. "They're not here, either," she reported.

"Ugh!" I groaned in frustration. "Where can they be?!" I nearly screamed, getting more and more aggravated by the second, kicking a wall nearby. "We checked _every damn building!_" I cried. "Where else can they-" I stopped. "Be..." Somehow, I figured out where they're at. I don't know why, but it just...came to me. I stopped my rant, looking over at my friend. "I believe I know where they are," I said.

"Huh?" Hannah's eyebrow perked up. "Hazel, I think you're fit somehow messed up your brain," she clarified as if I was insane.

"No, Hannah," I protested, waving my hands in the air. "I know where they can be."

"Okay, okay." She held up her hands. "Okay, I believe you," Hannah said.

"Alright, we just need to go to the-"

"Hello there," a voice cut me off. Me and Hannah screamed in surprise to see a Horror behind us. "Are you here to transform into a..." He grinned. "...werewolf." He laughed. He stepped forward and we stepped back from him.

"We don't want to be werewolves!" I stated firmly.

"Why not...?" he replied, walking closer to us as we walked backwards to the door that we use to get inside. "We only do it digitally," he almost assured us.

"I said no," I confirmed again.

He glared at us, grabbing the front of my shirt and grabbed Hannah by the shoulder. "You know..." the Horror began. "...I've been waiting for a long time to transform someone into a werewolf. Except, no one came except one man and two teenage boys, one of them being a coward."

"Too bad for you," I exclaimed aggressively. "And let go of us!" I commanded. "Or I'll pinch you," I warned, remembering the time when I read that book that we are still searching for.

"No pinching is allowed in Horrorland," he declared.

"Then let go of us," I repeated, my eyes locked on his.

Not wanting to ignore my warning, he sighed. "Okay," he obeyed, releasing his grip on us. "I don't want to get pinched. You know what happens to us Horrors when we do get pinched, do you?" he said in a creepy tone of voice.

"Y-Yeah..." I stuttered, reaching for the doorknob. "Let's go," I directed towards Hannah.

"Okay," she responded in return. We ran out of the door, letting it slam shut. "Let's get out of this village," she declared.

Once we reached out of Werewolf Village, we stopped to take a short break. "Okay," she breathed, "you said you know where the guys are, right?"

"Right," I confirmed.

"Well..." She waved her hands. "Tell me," she slightly urged me to speak. "Where can they be, Hazel?"

I gave her a short, simple answer. "The _Stagger Inn Hotel._"

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

We continued away to Werewolf Village to see if the girls are there. I actually hope they are there, and once we find them, we'll continue to look for that book that the Horrors stolen from me twenty one years ago, so I can get everything back in there. Along with the Boy who is such a… menace… Including a liar! God, I can't wait to trap that obnoxious thing!

"You look angry," Zach noted towards me.

"I'm not angry... I'm just..." I pinched the bridge of my nose, taking my glasses off my face. "...annoyed from not being able to find the girls and the book. I want to know if they're okay or not," I spoke in a concerned voice. "I mean, _this is_ Horrorland, boys," I told them. "The scariest park on earth," I empathize, gesturing my left hand at all the rides and everything else.

"Then why did you create it?" Champ said.

"I just have an act for it," I shrugged. "Although...this gift...of mine...is a curse," I barely sentenced out, pausing in between words that I can barely muster out. "I should've never created monsters as well as this park... If those brats hadn't made fun of me because of my stupid allergies, I wouldn't have to scare the daylights out them with my books that I'd had written over the years..." I paused. "And I should've known that I forgotten one of the monsters; the Invisible Boy."

"Like that one night where we saw the huge giant praying mantis?" Zach brought up. "And you didn't remember writing anything about it?" He raised his brows at me, crossing his arms as we continued to walk to _Werewolf Village_.

"Hey, that mantis didn't appear later in the book," I defended. "That's why I didn't remember writing about that bug," I explained. "I've written four hundred million copies and sold them to those bullies," I nearly spat out.

"Okay," he said a bit defeated. "I was just saying..."

I let out a sigh. "No... it's fine..." I answered, putting my glasses back on my face since I almost forgotten that I had them off, or else I'll end up running into a tree. "Besides," I added, "this curse might never leave me."

Once we finally made it to _Werewolf Village_, we entered. I was expecting Champ to turn the other way, but when I gave him that warning look, he didn't. Probably so he wouldn't get his ear pulled again.

"I don't like this place..." he whimpered, the howls both coming from _The Werewolf Petting Zoo_ and _Wolfsbane Forest_. "I'm going to be hearing those howls in my head for the rest of my life," he said, whipping his head around as if to see if any werewolves have appeared or not.

I looked around, spotting the first place. A restaurant that is a few feet away from us. All three of us approached it and I shifted Hazel's backpack over to my other shoulder. It wasn't very heavy, though. However, I couldn't help but to feel very hungry. I hadn't eaten all day and neither did the kids, and I bet they were starving, too. I wanted to stop and for us to take a snack break, but I want to find the girls before we do that. And if we're lucky, we might end finding the book as well. Plus, if something ever happened to those girls... I'll kill that Boy. Or... I can at least try to. Oh wait... monsters can't be killed... Darn it! Ugh, I'm so hungry that I can't even _think_ straight.

"I'm hungry..." Champ suddenly let out his words that I was thinking.

"You should've eaten that apple that I gave you," I told him. "But you decided to waste it."

"It had worms on it!" he exclaimed. "I even said that I lost my appetite because of those...slimy things... until now because all I keep thinking is about food."

Zach gave him a soldem look. "Please don't say food..." he spoke, his stomach rumbling except he didn't care at all. "I rather find Hannah and Hazel, then to die of starvation."

"I'm sorry, Zach," Champ apologized. "I just want a sandwich or something..."

"Stop saying words that has to do with food!" Zach snapped.

"_You_ stop saying the word food!" Champ attacked back

"How about you _both_ don't say that word?" I cut in, not wanting them to continue how hungry they were before I even start yelling.

"Sorry..." they both responded, once they stopped arguing.

Once they shut their mouths, we proceeded towards the restaurant. Even seeing that place makes me want to eat there. But I don't think Horrorland food is edible. Probably just... stuff that I'd rather not think about.

A few seconds later, Champ spoke. "...I want a burger..."

"Oh for God's sake, boy," I voiced out, getting very irritated that he couldn't keep his mouth shut that has to do anything with...you know what I'm talking about. "I'm going to shove some Horrorland snacks down your throat if your don't shut the hell up about food!" I threatened. "God, I just said the word food!" I declared. "I just said again! Ohh, I just want to find the girls and finish everything else!" I ranted, feeling my face turn red with anger. Then I took a deep breath and let out slowly, and my face turned back to its normal color. "Okay..." I manage to calm down. "...not only that we're starving, but we're also tired," I said, along with a yawn that I couldn't keep in my mouth. "So let's all just calm down and keep searching for the girls," I stated clearly. "And once we find them, we'll stop to take a rest break… and eat what Hazel has packed for us." I lifted her backpack to show them that I meant it.

"You sure this time...?" Champ didn't seem too convinced. "You said that after we went through that terrifying tunnel..."

"Well, this time I'm keeping it," I replied to my answer. "Let's just get to that place..." I looked at the building as we made our closer to it. And by the time we did, I read the sign. _"Wolf It Down?"_ I arched an eyebrow in question.

Zach noticed my expression. "What?" he manage to speak. "You don't remember writing about restaurants in the book that we need?" he inquired, pointing at the building.

"...kinda," I answered. "Come on," I commanded, grabbing the door, swinging it open for all three of us to enter in.

"Ew," Champ groaned. "Okay... my appetite just went away," he spoke, his voice sounding different when he pinched his nose shut.

"You sure...?" I gave the kid an arched brow again.

"Well..." he thought as he began to think about it. "I'm not sure... It might come back."

"Uh huh..." I responded in a slight dull, tone of voice. "Now let's check to see if any of the girls are at a table," I told them. "And I hope they didn't eat anything in this place," I hoped fearing the worst of them getting sick.

Just as we were about to search at each table, a Horror wearing an apron with stains on it came walking towards us. The stains actually bothered me since I'm a bit OCD.

"Ugh..." Champ let out another groan. "Now I know where the smell is coming from..." He pinched his nose closed even tighter. Zach didn't seem to care for the least. Either that he's used to bad smells, or he just doesn't want to be a wimp, just like the awkward teen.

"It's not that bad," Zach told his best friend.

"I'm not used to these kind of smells, Zach," he explained. "I actually failed Biology class for not being to cut open a frog back in seventh grade, and I refuse to take that course again."

Zach rolled his eyes in reply by the time the Horror got close to us.

"Welcome to _Wolf It Down_," she greeted. "The only vegetarian restaurant in Horrorland. With food such as tofu one-armed shepherd pie, wolf cub cheese sandwiches, and-"

"We're here to check to see if two girls are here," I cut her off.

"They didn't stop by here," she said. "However, why don't you take a seat and eat some food," she suggested.

I declined her offer. "We're fine," I lied. Both boys nodded. "Come on," I said. "Let's keep searching for the girls."

"Coming," Zach responded to my command.

"Yes, sir," Champ added.

When we reached back outside, the Horror stopped the door from fully closing. "You sure you boys don't want anything to eat?" she asked in a concerned manner.

I gave her a glare from my eyes. "We're fine," I repeated nothingless. Being a good liar that I am, she nodded her head, heading back to the kitchen, letting the door closed shut.

Champ released his nose, suching a lung full of hair. "Oh good," he gasped. "I can breathe now."

"You were holding your breath, too?" I questioned.

"It was that bad, okay?" he answered shyly.

"You're a wimp," I slightly insulted.

"Hey!" I ignored his protest. "I'm not a wimp. In fact, I actually saved Taylor from a werewolf since her used-to-be-boyfriend abandoned her," he recalled, remembering that very moment. "With _silver_ fillings," he acknowledged. _"Silver!"_ he exclaimed.

"I didn't know you had cavities..." Zach stated. "So you didn't brush your teeth in years? That's gross, dude," he mentioned.

"I was ten when I had to get them filled."

"Whatever." Zach approached me while I was scanning the area. "Where else can we check?" he asked. I then pointed at another building. He looked at the building that I was pointing at, raising a brow. _"Wolfgang's Music Shop?"_ he questioned. "Do you think that they are in there?" he said.

"I'm not sure..." I replied truthfully. "But it's better to check then rather not to, right?"

"...I see your point," he responded, but didn't seem too convinced that the girls are in there.

All three of us walked towards the building. I grabbed the doorknob and opened it, and when we entered inside, a blast of heavy metal music stung our ears. "Oh my, God!" I declared, pressing my hands on my ears. "Someone needs to turn that down!"

"What?!" both boys cried out.

"Someone needs to turn that down!" I shouted in repeat, the music going over top of my voice.

_"What?!"_ they cried again, obviously still not understanding what I was saying.

"I said..." I took a deep breath in. "...that someone _NEEDS TO TURN THAT DOWN!"_ I screeched on top of my lungs.

Champ pointed at the speakers that are hung up on each corner, indicating where the music is coming from. "We still can't hear you, Stine!" he answered, flinching at the loud music. "Someone needs to turn that down!" he hollered.

"That's what I said!" I yelled.

"What?!" he exclaimed, still not able to hear me clearly.

"Grrr...!" I strained, getting fed up by the loud music. I whipped my head around, seeing a Horror over at a counter, going through some music albums. I stomped over to him. "Turn that down!" I ordered him. Of course, he didn't hear me, either. Just moving his head up and down at the music, with a radio that is right next to him since that's where the awful sound is coming from that was plugged to the wall, the music transporting over to the speakers. Getting more fed up by the second, I yelled again. _"Turn that down!"_ Again, he didn't hear me. My face began to turn red again with frustration and anger. Taking another deep breath in, I tried one last time. _**"Turn that DOWN!"**_ Using my full volume voice, mixing in with another screech, the Horror dropped the albums on the counter and shut the music off, and the sound died off. "Finally..." I dropped my hands to my sides.

"Oh, thank God," Champ relieved, putting his hands back down on his sides with Zach doing the same thing. "I was afraid that I will end up deaf, were you?" he said, turning to Zach.

"Yeah..." he responded, recovering from the loud music once it's been shut off. "...just a little..."

"It's a good thing, too," Champ stated. "Because if I was deaf, I had to learn sign language just like Helen Keller."

"Dude, she was deaf _and_ blind," Zach corrected him. "And when did you learn that?" he then asked.

"...History class," he said kind of mumbly. "It's the only history story that I remember..."

"Uh huh..." Zach rolled his eyes and I saw him come up to the counter right next to me, with Champ on the other side.

I looked at the Horror who is now straightening out the albums on the counter that had scattered when he dropped them in surprise from my screeching volume of voice. But before I had a chance to speak, he spoke first.

"Are you here to buy moon-themed songs on CDs and albums from the best rock group ever?" he exclaimed, grinning.

"What rock group?" Zach inquired.

_"Howie And The Howlers,"_ the Horror said. He pointed at all the CD's that are behind him and all around the shop. "We have all of their howl records you can get," he told us. "And this week, new ones will be coming in," he broadcasted, his grin growing wider. "So...are you gonna buy some CDs and albums?" he asked. "You can even have ten CDs or albums for free, if your willing to do that," he offered.

"Nope," I declined, "we're only here to see if the girls came by," I told him in a serious manner.

"Uh...well... they didn't come by here..." The Horror put the stacked CDs to the side. "But if they do come here and asked me, I'll tell them that you dropped by," he said.

"Alright," I returned causally. I was still acting like we were not searching for the book during this so called 'challenge' that the Invisible Boy came up with until Hazel told us the truth about his scheme that he's about to do. "Thank you," I thanked, still be causal as I can. "Let's get going, boys." With that said, the two followed me out the door and we walked away from that building.

"Okay..." I sighed. "So they were not there," I confirmed with a shake of my head.

"Let's check in there?" Champ said, the words sounding like a question.

"Where?" I responded.

He pointed. "There." I looked to see where he was pointing at, seeing another building not too far from us.

_"Over The Moon Souvenirs."_ After I read the sign, I nodded. "The girls maybe in there."

_"Maybe?"_ Zach echoed.

"Hey, I might be right," I replied.

_"Might?"_ he echoed again.

"Okay, I could be wrong," I changed my wordings. "Besides, how will we know if we don't check?" I said, bringing up a good point.

"...I guess you're right..." Zach rubbed the back of his head in a doubtful way. "However...I don't believe that the girls went in there..."

We walked towards the building, then entered inside. There we saw silver bullet-key chains, wolf cub dolls, miniature _Werewolf Village_ play sets, jars of authentic werewolf drool, and wolf tooth necklaces all over the store. Champ walked over to the silver bullet-key chains and took one off the hook.

"What are you doing?" I asked him. "Put that back," I told him.

"Okay..." he obeyed, putting the key chain back on the hook. "I just want to protect myself in case any werewolf comes after me...or us..."

"Well, they won't, okay?" I replied.

"But I just-"

_**"Shut up!"**_ I snapped at him. "I'm sorry... I mean... shut up," I said, changing my harsh voice into a polite one. "Alright..." I looked around the shop. "I see no sign of the girls here, so let's go check somewhere-"

"Welcome to _Over The Moon Souvenirs_!" Me and Zach jumped while Champ let out a girl-like scream and turned to see a Horror behind us. "Welcome to _Over The Moon Souvenirs_!" he repeated his greeting. "Are you here to buy anything? We have-"

"Were two girls here?" Zach interrupted him.

"No..." The Horror shook his head. "...they didn't drop by here," he answered.

Zach looked at me. "They're not here," he reported.

"Gee... I didn't know that," I responded sarcastically.

"...sorry..."

I sighed. "It's fine…" I looked up at the Horror since all of them are pretty big. "We'll be going..." I turned and all three of us head out the door, walking out of the building. "Well, they were definitely not in there ," I stated obviously since the girls were not in that building. "Ugh...!" I let out a strained groan, allowing my hand to slide over my face. "Where can they be...?" I wondered, looking at the other buildings like _Moment Of Paws_ and another one called _Fur Sure!_ "They can't be in those buildings..." I thought out loud. "Hmm..." Still looking around, my eyes widen when a building came into view. "Oh no..." I breathed with uneasiness as I kept my eyes locked on the building. "Please, don't think that the girls went in there..." I talked myself, fearing the worst, my pulse rate going up, beginning to panic just a bit. "But..." It took me a second to say the words since they were caught in my throat that I had to force them out as best as I could. "...what if they were transformed... Into werewolves...?" The thought of that stayed in my mind, not going away.

"Huh?" Zach and Champ questioned in usion.

"The girls..." I explained. "They might of went..." I pointed at the building. "...in there," I finished.

Zach glanced at the building. "Do you think that they went in there...?" he said. "The building with the sign that says _Make Me Howl_?"

"I believe so..." I replied. "For some reason... that building is telling me that something _bad_ happened to those girls..."

"Like what...?" Champ seemed to get that same uneasiness feeling just like I am. "Why did you say that they turned..." He gulped. "...into werewolves?" he asked with frightful look on his face. "I'm gonna run!" He was about to do so, when I grabbed his shirt collar again.

"Don't you start," I seethed, gripping the fabric of his shirt. "Don't you start running away, kid," I warned through gritted teeth. I let go of him. "Don't run off," I repeated. "Come on," I urged them immediately, not wanting to waste anytime. We began running to the building, entering inside. "Girls! Girls!" I shouted frantically. "Girls!" I continue to shout throughout the inside of the building, my panic state starting to rise up. "Hannah? Hazel? Sweethearts?" Wait... did I just say sweet_hearts_? Ignoring that question that came into my mind, I continue to call for them, even searching for them. "Girls, are you in here?" I yelled getting more worried by the second.

"I don't think they're here, Stine," Zach informed me. "I don't even _hear_ any howling, either," he added.

"Yeah, you're right, Zacharias," Champ agreed. "Besides," he asked, "why is it even called _Make Me Howl_?"

Before I can answer, a Horror stepped around the corner. "My, my, my," he grinned, walking towards us. "Humans that want to turn into werewolves. Now this is a nice surprise."

"Where are the girls?" I demanded him. "Did-Did you do something to them?!" My protection instinct came onto me.

He chuckled a throaty chuckle. "Oh, they were not here..." he sneered. "However, if they do come here... I'll turn them into werewolves. Just like I'm going to do..._with you_," he declared, lunging at us.

_"Run!"_ I exclaimed.

Bursting out of the door, we ran as far from that building, getting away from there. _"Hey!"_ the Horror yelled in a loud, booming voice. "Come back here, _right NOW!_" he ordered.

Not a chance, I thought. Once we reached far from that place and close to sign of _**Werewolf Village**_, we stopped.

"Okay," Champ panted, "that is the last time I'll run that fast," he decided, leaning on the sign, putting his hand on it, which is made out of wood, just like the other signs. "Ow!" he screamed, jerking his hand off the sign. "I think I got a splinter…" He looked at his hand. "Oh… wait...just a scratch," he informed us.

"Really, dude?" Zach replied nothingless, not caring about his best friend's injury.

"Hey!" He held his hands up. "It _felt_ like a splinter, okay?" he responded in defense. He looked over at me. "Where should we check now?" he asked, picking at the scratch which is a little red and looks sore.

"Don't pick at it, or it'll hurt even more," I told him. "When we get this over with, and once we get to our homes, put a bandaid on it with ointment," I advised, taking off my glasses and cleaned them with my shirt. I then placed them back on my face. "Besides," I added, once I got them on right, "I bet I know where the girls are at…"

Zach crossed his arms. "Oh, really?" he smirked, thinking that I am nuts or something. "Then where can they be?"

"Don't worry," I assured both the boys in a mysterious tone of voice that I sometimes use. "I just know where they're at… Trust me.

I looked at the boys and they gave me a 'are you serious' look.

I couldn't help but put on a smile when I believed that I _might_ figure out where the girls went to.


	14. Chapter 14: The Stagger Inn Hotel

**Chapter 14: The Stagger Inn Hotel**

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

"Where can they be?" Zach repeated his question, his arms still crossed over his chest. "And I _hope _you're not wrong this time," he said, thinking that I made a mistake of where the girls are at, as if he didn't trust me.

"Zach, I'm sure I figured out where they went to," I assured him. Champ opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "Don't say '_are we going to one of the other scary areas like Fever Swamp'_," I mimicked the awkward teen's voice, mocking him.

"Hey!" Champ protested, feeling a bit offended. "That's not what I was going to ask," he responded angrily.

"Alright…" I said. "What _are _you going to say?" I asked him with a raised brow, waiting for what he's gonna say.

"Are we going to _Black Lagoon Water Park_?" he replied nervously and timidly.

I clenched my teeth together. "Really, kid?" I started, getting irritated already for questioning me on that. "Champion, we're not going to that place because like I stated, I _might _of figured out where the girls are at," I explained to him.

Zach gave me a disbelief look. "Yeah, right," he scoffed, being very skeptical about it. "Stine, we almost checked every area, how can you _possibly _know?"

"I said that I _might _know where they can be," I corrected.

"Sure…" He rolled his eyes, still not believing a word that I was saying.

"I'm serious," I protested in all seriousness. Zach just rolled his eyes again, almost smirking at me. It only disappeared when I gave him _the look_, the one that I always give to Hannah ever since she came around to my existence. "If you won't believe me, then I just have to take you there."

"Alright," he shrugged. "Just lead the way," he said, uncrossing his arms and letting them drop to his sides. "I'm not sure to believe you or not, but… go on ahead. I really need to see if the girls are okay. Both of them."

I sighed. "...so do I." And with that, I led the boys down Horrorland. Champ stayed in between me and Zach like we were shields or something, and yelped when he heard something. "It's just an owl. Are you afraid of owls?" I questioned him.

It took a minute for him to answer. "...yes…" he nodded, feeling embarrassed. "Like I mentioned a few nights ago...I'm afraid of everything," he repeated during that one night. "And I'm not good at anything either… my parents are even thinking about kicking me out of their home," he added in a gloomy mood. "I guess they don't want a coward who's always screaming when something 'scary' happens," he then muttered, as if he hated his own parents. "I mean, they're good at everything. My mom was an all-American sprinter and a two-time world debate champion, and my dad won a bronze medal in the '92 Olympics." He kicked a rock out of his way, watching it bounce off one of the snack booths. "Why can't I be as good as them?" I can tell by his face that he actually hated himself. "If they kick me out… I have to find somewhere else to live. Only here's the problem." Another kick of a rock, this time sailing to one of the Horror's that is sweeping up the pavement. I was expecting the rock to hit the monster, except it landed on the ground and the Horror swept it up like it was nothing. "I have nowhere to go," Champ continued his talking. "I can't visit my grandma anymore nor live with her because she lives in Pasadena after reading that one _Goosebumps_ book about the Abominable Snowman monster which almost killed us if Hazel hadn't trapped it back in the manuscript that it got out of," he fumed, having me in shock to see a different side of him. "And I can't live with my aunt and uncle because they have dogs, and I don't know what to do with my life!" he yelled, this time picking up a rock and throwing it as far as he can. After doing so, I saw a tear forming at the corner of his eye. "I shouldn't be around anymore… and I shouldn't have a girlfriend anyway," he cracked, his voice breaking. "I'm not good at anything… I never liked myself and I hide it all the time. I'm an awful son to my own parents… my own _damn_ parents." The tear even rolled down his cheek.

"Don't think of yourself that way. The best way to feel good about yourself… is to be _you_," I advised, pointing at him. "Who cares what your parents think of you. And if they do end up kicking you out the house...I'm sure they're places like you to live at. And," I informed, "you should never say that you never wanted to be around anymore or say that you can't have a girlfriend because you're not strong or in good shape just like Zach Cooper here." I flicked a thumb to my student, giving Champ a bright grin. "Besides, Taylor does like you and is happy for what you did for her during that monster invasion at the high school ever since her ex-boyfriend decided to leave her behind when that werewolf almost attacked her." I chuckled a little. "By using _silver_ fillings," I completed, my grin growing a bit wider.

That angry look got replaced with a smile after I gave him that lesson on just being himself. "You're right, Stine," he agreed with a nod of his head. "I just wanted my parents to understand what I'm going through these years," he wished, his smile fading off his face.

"You know what I believe about your parents?" I waited for him to answer, but he only shrugged his shoulders. "I believe that they need to _listen_ to you if you have any problems," I told him. "However," I added, "if they refuse to… then don't worry about it. And if they kick you out of the house, like I said, there are other places in Madison to live at."

"Thanks," he smiled again. "I'll do my best to get my parents to understand and to explain that I don't need to be like them. Heck, my dad thinks girls like athletic guys like Zach here," he pointed at his best friend. "Only…" He scoffed. "...what does he know about girls… He only wanted a girl that is athletic as _he_ is, so that's why he married my mom before I came into the picture."

"Were you an ugly baby, Champ?" Zach teased, giving him a smug smile. "Because my aunt Lorraine always tells that I was an ugly baby and that I look like Baby Gollum when in truth is that I was looking at a picture of me and my dad… Before he passed away."

"I was not an ugly infant, Zacharias," Champ defended himself, feeling very offended.

Zach laughed. "I'm kidding, dude." He lightly punched his shoulder. "But seriously I was an ugly baby," he stated in that serious tone of voice.

Champ rubbed his shoulder, not paying attention. "I think you bruised my shoulder…" he spoke.

"I didn't punch you _that_ hard," Zach said.

"Yeah…" Champ shrugged. "I'm being a little dramatic…" He stopped rubbing his shoulder and looked at me. "So...where are we going?" he asked.

"You'll see," I simply answered, my eyes straight ahead. "And no, it's not somewhere scary." I then thought about it. "Well, it _might_ be scary," I told him, just to give him a heads up warning in case the place we're going is scary or not.

"U-Uh… okay," he stammered, his nervousness coming back.

"Dude…" Zach did a little eye roll. "I bet this place isn't down right _terrifying_ like those _Goosebumps_ monsters," he reassured him.

"Don't ever say that G word, man," Champ responded back.

"What word? Goosebumps?" he mentioned again.

"Don't say that word!" Champ cried out.

"Hey, I'm going to crack your heads together so you two can stop arguing," I threatened a bit.

"Sorry…" the awkward teen apologized. "I'm just really hungry and tired, that I wanted to lay on the ground and just sleep."

"So am I…" Zach rubbed his eyes, letting out a yawn. "I hope my mom doesn't freak out since I already gave her a heads up since I'm helping you guys stop the Invisible Boy. And I want to get everything in that book if we ever find it," he informed me.

"Don't worry," I assured him. "We'll get the book, but first we have to see if the girls are at this one place that came into my mind," I reminded him. "Although, I'm beginning to think that they got kidnapped…" That thought stayed in my mind until Champ said something that I told him just a few minutes ago.

"Don't think like that," he repeated my words that I gave him, only slightly different. "I bet the girls are fine."

I just answered by nodding my head slowly. I want the girls to be okay, I hoped. Then Champ said something else.

"I feel like we're being… watched," he reported to us, and when I looked at him, he felt very uneasy. He glanced over at a bush. "I'm not even exaggerating," he stated. He gasped. "The bush just moved!"

"It's just the wind, dude," Zach told him.

"It moved," Champ swore, pointing at it. "And we're being watched…" He was about to put his finger in his mouth when I slapped it. "Hey-!" he yelped, jerking his hand away.

"Don't put your finger in your mouth!" I said somewhat loudly. "It's gross and you have no idea what you were touching. This place maybe filled with stuff you don't want to think about," I warned him.

He thought about what I said to him. "Oh…" he said slowly. "Okay, once I get home, I'm gonna wash my hands," he decided in a smart way.

"Great idea," I agreed.

We continued walking until I stopped and the boys bumped me from behind. I gave them a quick glare since they weren't watching where they were going. "We're here, you two," I announced.

Zach gave me a confused look. "Where?" he questioned.

I pointed. "There."

Both boys turned and saw a building and when they read the sign, their jaws dropped to the floor.

The _**Stagger Inn Hotel**_ written in black bold letters just like the signs at each park section in Horrorland on a large building, bigger than the other ones, above the entrance doors.

"You gotta be kidding me..." was all Champ could say, breaking the long silence which was pretty creepy.

"I wish I was, but I'm not. Let's go and look for them in here," I ushered them, not wanting to stand here and stare at the building. "Here, Zach." I handed Hazel's backpack. "You can carry this, it's starting to hurt my shoulder a little."

"Sure." Taking her backpack, he put both straps on. "It's not that heavy, but I can handle it."

Making sure it's on him, all three of us entered the building.

"Are you here to stay for the night?" a Horror asked at the front desk.

"Uh... no, we just wanted to see what it looks like," I fibbed. The Horror nodded and went back to his work.

As we were looking for the girls, I couldn't help but wonder if they knew that we are here.

* * *

Walking around the hotel is pretty creepy to be honest. I mean, there's cobwebs in every corner every time we turn, and the floor creaked with each step that we made that I thought we're going to wake up the others, only for me to forget that me and the kids are the only ones here at this amusement park, besides the monsters. Even that annoying one that I wish I never created in the first place.

Ugh, thinking about him makes me want to get... angry... He's worse than Slappy.

Slappy... For some reason...I'm already miss him... Wait, what are you thinking, Stine? Missing your alter-ego of you? The one who tried to freak Hazel out?! What the _hell_ is wrong with you?! He even bit her as well! Don't you _dare_ start thinking about that wooden dummy. Just stop it right now, I ordered myself. However... the thought of him made me feel...sorry for what I did...

"Is something wrong, Stine?" Zach broke the silence, having me jump out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I questioned, looking towards him.

"Is something wrong?" he repeated. "You seem to be...lost in your thoughts. Are you thinking about the girls?" he asked me, waiting for my answer as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

"U-Uh...um..." I stuttered, taking my glasses off and cleaning them off with my shirt. "Y-Yeah...that's what I was thinking," I lied, even though it was true. But the other part of me wanted to tell them that I also miss that one monster... And if I do, they'll freak out or get mad at me.

Maybe...maybe someday I'll talk to that wooden demon... Just... not tonight. I put my glasses back on my face once I got the dusty particles off the lenses. "Let's check the second floor," I suggested.

"I hope we don't see any spiders," Champ spoke with a hint of fear. "Guys, if you see any spiders, let me know," he advised us. "I don't want to run into them or else they'll bite me."

"When were you afraid of spiders? Because most people like them..." Zach's voice trailed away when his best friend gave him a sharp look. "Oh... I see," he understood, taking out one of his hands out of his right pocket, rubbing the back of his neck. "You were a kid when it happened..."

"Don't apologize, friend," Champ grinned, patting Zach's shoulder. "I know you didn't mean to ask me. Now when I think about it... What are you afraid of?"

"Nothing," he answered quickly, shoving his hand back into his pocket. "I'm...not afraid of anything, Champ." Both of us gave him a disbelief look. "What...?" he questioned. "Don't look at me like that," he protested. "Really, I'm not," he continued to try to lie to us, only it doesn't seem to be working. "Okay," he gave up. "I'm...afraid of losing my mom...ever since my dad died last year."

"How did he die?"

"Champ, that's not a nice question to ask," I scolded him.

But Zach doesn't seem to mind as he let out two words. "Car accident." He shrugged his shoulders. "You know...back in New York...whenever mom gets in the car to go somewhere...I always get a bad feeling... But...nothing ever bad happened to her..." He sighed. "That's the main reason that I wanted to move to a different state. Just living in New York reminds of him."

I wanted to say something, so I did. "Did you know I actually...had a wife?"

"I thought you were single before you started dating my aunt," Zach replied confused. "Since when were you married?"

"_Was_ married," I corrected him in a teacher like voice that I use on students at each class that I get. "I _was_ married," I repeated. "A long time ago after college," I began to tell my story, "I always felt alone... No girl was interested in me except for one. At first I thought she was one of those bullies that picked on me because of my allergies, but no, she actually likes me. Not just to be friends...but be in a relationship with me. Of course, I agreed. I was living by myself at the time and I let her move in with me when she was still my girlfriend

_'Thanks for letting me live here, Robert.'_

She looked around my living room, setting down the last of boxes of her things, taken aback by the décor of the inside of my house. She had beaming smile on her face as she looked around the living room, brushing back her hair on her left shoulder.

_'And I love the way it looks, too. Just like I love you.'_

She giggled when she saw my face glowed pink.

_'You're blushing.'_

_'I-I am?'_

I couldn't help but stutter and she laughed, nodding her head.

_'Yes, Robert, your face is turning that color every time you look at me.'_

_'And you're doing the same thing.'_

She laughed, picking up her boxes off the floor.

_'I'm just going to put these upstairs in our bedroom.'_

She was about to go up the steps when I stopped her and held out my arms.

_'I'll take those up.'_

Smiling at my offer, she handed me the boxes. I almost dropped them, feeling the weight of the boxes.

_'Whoa...! What did you put in these boxes, sweetheart?'_

_'Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley High and Stephen King books.'_

I grimaced when she mentioned that last author's name since I hate that guy. Besides, I'm going to be a much better writer than him.

Of course, my girlfriend saw my expression.

_'Is there something wrong about my favorite books...?'_

I quickly changed the expression on my face when I gave her my answer.

_'No, no. Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley High books are fine... But Steve King... not so much. Besides, I'm going to write my own book series someday.'_

_'Oh really? I didn't know you like to write. You can even make money from doing that. What are you going to call your series?'_

_'I'm not sure...but I want to write stories with frights and twists and turns to get back at my bullies that keep throwing rocks at my windows and keep calling me names.'_

_'Robert...'_

She had a frown on her face.

_'Why would you think that'll work?'_

_'Because I know.'_

She shook her head.

_'You know, Robert, you should try to ignore them or ask them to stop.'_

I scoffed.

_'That won't work, sweetheart.'_

She didn't reply as I went up the steps and stopped midway.

_'I'll be right back and we can have dinner. I'm thinking about having take-out tonight. Is Chinese food okay with you?'_

_'My favorite.'_

I smiled and continued up the steps to _our_ room.

By the time I entered the bedroom, I went over to the empty bookcase, pulling out one book at a time, setting them on the shelves as carefully as I can, wanting to line them up straight.

Once I got the _Nancy Drew_ and _Sweet Valley High_ books on the shelves, I reached down and grabbed the first _Stephen King_ book that I took out of the box. I made a face at the title of the book. _The Shining_. What a lame title name for a horrible horror book. Actually, all of them suck in my own opinion.

After I finished putting the books on the shelves on the bookcase, I set the boxes aside and went back downstairs in the living room to see my girlfriend sitting on the couch, going through the channels that are on the TV. I can tell by her face that there's nothing good on during this evening, which I understand. So I came up to her and asked her something.

_'Wanna watch a movie?'_

She smiled.

_'Sure, how about horror one?'_

I smiled back at her answer to the movie genre that we can both watch.

_'Alright, what horror movie do you want to watch?'_

_'Well, what do you have?'_

I went over to where I have my DVDs and pulled out a few horror movies out of the shelves.

_'How about this one? The Silence Of The Lambs?'_

_'No.'_

_'Psycho?'_

_'Nah.'_

_'The Texas Saw Chain Massacre?'_

_'Mm... no.'_

I set that one down, picking up another one.

_'Motel Hell? This one's a good movie.'_

_'Nope.'_

_'Hmm...'_

_I picked up another one._

_'Dead Silence?'_

_'Um, no.'_

_'The Sixth Sense?'_

_'That's not a scary movie. That's more of a suspense thriller.'_

_'Oh...okay. How about Saw? I got all of them.'_

_'Nuh-uh.'_

_'Friday The Thirteenth?'_

_'No.'_

_'The Exorcist?'_

_'No.'_

_'A Nightmare On Elm Street?'_

_'Uh...no.'_

_'What about The Blair Witch Project?'_

_'That's a dumb movie, Robert.'_

I laughed, agreeing with her.

_'Yeah, it is. Don't know why I have it, though.'_

She laughed, too.

_'What else do you got, dear?'_

_'I got Jaws, Alien, Carrie, Dracula, Frankenstein and Bride Of Frankenstein, Night Of The Living Dead, Poltergeist, Halloween...'_

However, she just shook her head no.

_'I have no idea what you want to watch, sweetheart...'_

_'That's okay, Robert, I can get one of my favorite horror movies that are in the boxes that I took upstairs before I went to grab the last ones.'_

_'Alright. I'll order the food as you do that.'_

_'Great.'_

She gave me a kiss and proceeded up the stairs to our room to grab the movie that we can both watch. And after standing there for a few seconds, I went over to my phone and called the Chinese restaurant that does take-out.

After I ordered the food, the guy said it'll be here in less than thirty minutes and said it'll cost twenty dollars. Not bad.

I hung up when I saw my loved one come down the stairs.

_'So what movie do you got for us to watch?'_

_'IT.'_

_'IT?'_

_'Yeah, IT. This movie is one of my favorites. It's based on the book that Stephen King wrote.'_

_'Oh...'_

_'What...? Don't you want to watch it?'_

_'Well...um...'_

_'Please, Robert? For your soon-to-be-wife?'_

_'We're not engaged. Yet. But yeah we'll watch it.'_

_'Great.'_

She went over to the DVD player right after she switched the channel so she can set the movie up.

Not wanting to stand around doing nothing, I made my way to the kitchen.

_'I'm going to make tea. Do you want any?'_

_'Sure. Can you make it mint tea?'_

_'Of course.'_

As I got into the kitchen, I filled up the teapot with hot water to make it boil faster on the stove. And while I waited for it to boil, I got out two packets of mint tea, I kept on thinking about the surprise that I have for her next week when she mentioned 'soon-to-be-wife'.

By the time the water is boiling, I got out two cups, a spoon, and sugar. I poured hot water in each cup. I then dipped the tea packets in the water, changing the color of it before adding sugar to make it sweet, stirring it with the spoon.

I then heard the doorbell ring.

_'I got it.'_

I heard my girlfriend go over to the front door and I heard a male voice.

_'Here you go, ma'am, that'll be twenty dollars, please.'_

_'Alright, here you go.'_

_'Thanks and have a nice evening.'_

_'You too.'_

She shut the door and set the food on the coffee table. I went into the living room as she took out the cartons of that had the food inside along with chopsticks.

_'You know how to use chopsticks?'_

She nodded.

_'Yep, do you?'_

_'Yep.'_

_'Cool, and I already got the movie playing.'_

Great, I thought sarcastically even though I wanted to say it out loud.

While we watched the movie and ate our meal, I felt her look at me.

_'Robert?'_

_'Yeah?'_

_'How come you don't like Steve King?'_

_'I just don't. But like I said, I'm going to make up my own series. I just can't think of the name right now.'_

_'Don't worry, it'll come to you.'_

As the next week came by, I was taking her to the park to get ready to surprise her. And she had no idea what it is.

However, thoughts ran through my head like: What if she doesn't like it and says no? What if she has a new boyfriend? And most importantly, does she _really_ like me?

The questions spun around in my head by the time we got to our favorite tree that is covered in pink flowers, with lots of pedals littering the ground around us.

_'Why are we here?'_

I smiled at her question, putting my hand in my right pocket and pulled something out. It was a black velvet box.

At first she was a bit confused, then I saw her reaction at I got down on one knee, opening the box that contains a diamond ring…

"When did you lose your wife?" Champ interrupted my story, making me pause and cast a sharp glare at him.

"I'll tell you unless you keep your mouth shut so I can finish my story," I slightly snapped at the kid. My glare went away. "Anyway, I opened the box that has the diamond ring...

_'Sweetheart, ever since we started dating, I knew you were the one. I wasn't sure when to bring it up but... Will you marry me?'_

Her eyes widen and she tried to hide the joyful tears, only to fail as one slipped down her face. And it only took her a second for her to answer to my proposal.

_'Yes... Yes, I will.'_

So... I proposed to her and we had a wonderful wedding next year. Things were doing fine then, and we even brought up of having children of our own a couple of times. Only...we were too busy. It was no big deal, anyway.

But...one day...when I got back from my errands, I walked into the house to see another guy touching my wife...

Of course, being the husband that I am, I dropped the bags and shoved him away from her.

_**'Don't you touch her!'**_

The guy staggered back with a shocked look on his face when I screamed at him.

_'Robert, no wait-'_

My wife tried to intervene, but I kept blowing my fume at this other guy.

_'Who are you?! What are you doing in my house?! Get out, NOW!'_

_'Robert! Stop it!'_

My wife cried out, getting between us. She looked at the other guy.

_'It's alright, honey.'_

Honey?! Did she really just say that word to that guy?!

_'...What...did...you...call...him?'_

She was surprised when I gave her angry eyes, the ones that I only use on my bullies and people that I hate.

_'Huh...? I-I didn't call him anything, Rob-'_

_'Don't you lie to me! I heard what you call this jackass!'_

_'Robert!'_

The guy went over to the front door, grabbing the knob.

_'I'm...I'm going to go...'_

_'Good, now get out of the house and stay away from my love one...'_

He looked over at her, giving her a small wave.

_'I'll see you next week, sweetie.'_

She just waved goodbye when she saw a glare on my face after the guy walked out the door, closing it behind him. She opened her mouth to say something, but I talked instead in a not so happy way that I always use on her.

_'When? When did this happen?! Why did you call him 'honey' and when did he call you 'sweetie'?!'_

_'Robert, please listen... Listen, please. I...I wasn't sure how to tell you this but...before we got married, I...liked someone else...'_

_**'WHAT?!'**_

I let out a rage, balling my hands into fists.

_**'YOU LIKED SOMEONE ELSE?! BEFORE WE EVEN GOT MARRIED?! YOU LIED TO ME WHEN YOU SAID 'YES'?! YOU PRETENDED TO LIKE ME?!'**_

_'Sweetie pie, please calm down...'_

But the rage that I was having didn't leave me when she tried to calm me down and my face turned a bright, angry red and I can feel it.

_'Sweetie...'_

_'Don't you DARE call me that since you lied to me! What the hell was wrong with you keeping that damn secret?! Huh?! Why is that?! What, am I not good enough for you?!'_

She backed away from me, getting very frightened at the different side of me. She knew that I had anger problems every now and then.

_**'ANSWER ME! TELL ME THE TRUTH!'**_

I demanded her to speak. She held her head down and started sniffling.

_'Yes...it's true... I wanted to tell you but...I was afraid that you'll get mad at me...'_

_'I AM mad you! Why would you do this to me?! I thought you were the one!'_

She lifted her head and gave me a tearful glare that I never saw from her for the first time in my life. She wiped the tears away, only for more to leak out of her eyes. She then spoke in a broken voice.

_'I guess I'm not... In fact, I did pretended to like you because I only felt bad that you were always alone. I thought doing that will make you happy...and now...since you saw my new boyfriend...I guess that secret is over...'_

My eyes widen before turning back into angry ones. I pointed at the front door.

_'Get out...'_

_'What?'_

_'Get out of MY house! Pack up your things and call your BOYFRIEND to come and pick you up!'_

She wiped the water out of her eyes and replied back at my demanding request.

_'...fine...I will...'_

A few hours later after packing up her belongings, her _boyfriend_ came and helped her with the boxes.

After, my _lying_ wife took off her wedding ring and threw at me as it hit me on the nose, dropping into my hand and I was hit by the madness that she sent me.

_'Goodbye... Robert.'_

I didn't say goodbye back, considering that she is now my _ex_ wife. So, after getting everything in her boyfriend's van, they both got in and drove off my driveway with the ring still in my hand. I went into the kitchen, throwing it in the trash along with mine. But my anger didn't go away. I was so angry that I wanted to grab something and break it.

Going over to one of the cabinets, I flung it open and pulled out a large, white glass bowl. I raised it up over my head, ready to smash it, only for my arms to weaken when tears started forcing out of my eyes. I set the bowl back in the cabinet and slammed the door shut that it made the house shake.

I can't believe I was lied to! I just cannot believe that is actually happened...

And as the years went on, my allergies that I still have to this day before I started taken medication, the bullies kept throwing rocks and called me names, like 'loser', 'lonely man', and other anything else that you can think of as I lived in my house in Columbus, Ohio. No friends... no one... And it's not just because of the bullies that I had to make my own friends with the special typewriter... It was because I very lonely... and when I finished my final _Goosebumps_ book ever, I decided to move to Madison, Delaware with my daughter that I created six years ago and gave the typewriter to the high school. In fact, it started with me and her in the state that I grew up in, then Mississippi, New York, Maine, and other states such as Chicago, which is when the monsters got out of the books by that one 'person' who freed them since he wanted revenge on me, only for this one girl to stop him at the Town Centre Galleria in the library. And so, after that me and Hannah move to Madison, Delaware." I looked at the boys and they both have confused faces. "What?" I questioned. "You want me to retell the story so you can understand it better?" I asked thinking that was the case.

Zach shook his head. "No. No, the one where your ex wife lied to you was fine, but...someone helped you stop this 'one person'? Who was he?" he said.

I clenched my teeth together and answered with one word. "Slappy."

"Slappy?!" Champ reacted in shock. "He was out of the manuscript before?! I thought when we saw him a few nights ago was when he got out the first time! Why didn't we know-"

"Shut up," I hissed, covering the kid's mouth. "It was five years ago," I explained. "Plus, I don't remember the girl's name or her older brother's name, either. She was eleven while her brother is about sixteen or seventeen years old. However..."

"However..." Zach repeated when my voice trailed off.

Not wanting to tell them just yet, I stuttered. "Uh, um... nothing. All I wanted to say is, uh, that I'm worried about the girls." No way that I'll tell them that I miss...Slappy. With a sigh, I stopped at the staircase, grabbing the railing and I led the way to the second floor of the hotel. The stairs let out a groan with each step that we took, which made Champ yelp. As usual.

"Is there anything you're not afraid of?" I asked him, continuing our up the steps.

"Um…" he replied, thinking about the question. "...I'm not sure..." He let out another startled yelp when we heard a loud creak sound on one of the steps that he, well, stepped on. "I don't like this hotel," he shivered.

"It's just a hotel, dude," Zach told him as if he didn't care about the noises. "Besides, I bet you've been to hotels before."

"Did not," Champ retorted back. "I never wanted to go places because I'm afraid of flying in airplanes," he explained.

I glanced at them. "Do you want me to sew your mouths shut? Because I can." Of course, they shook their heads. "Good, you're arguing is giving me a headache. Even when I'm starving."

"Can we stop and have a-"

"Not yet, Champion," I cut him off. "When we find the girls in this hotel we'll have a snack break," I told him.

He grumbled. "Fine," he responded.

By the time we made it up to the second floor, we walked down another hallway. "Hannah? Hazel?" I called out their names. "Hannah? Hazel? Are you two up here?" No answer. "Girls, are you here in the sec-"

Loud spitting came from behind me. I turned to see Champ who had stepped through a cobweb. "Not again," he exclaimed, pulling the cobweb pieces out of mouth. "Ew, it's on my tongue," he panicked. "I can still taste it. Quick, give me a snack," he urged Zach, almost begging to have food.

"Stine says that we have to find the girls first then take a snack break, so deal with it, man," Zach said, not giving in, shifting Hazel's backpack. "And don't ask if you can carry this since you're weak," he added. "No offense, by the way."

"I'm not _that_ weak," Champ responded.

"Knock it off, you two," I exclaimed, not wanting to hear it or else my headache is gonna get worse.

So with that, we continued to look for the girls, hoping that they are in this hotel just like I thought. But... what if I'm wrong?

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

"Huh?" Hannah questioned, almost as if she didn't understand what I had just told her of where Stine and boys can be.

"The _Stagger Inn Hotel_," I repeated. She was about to say something, but I just started running and I heard ran behind me, our shoes slapping the pavement. I looked around, until I spotted it.

"There it is," I pointed, not caring if I was out of breath from running all the way here.

The _**Stagger Inn Hotel**_ is written in bold letters just like other hotels that you see when you go on vacation. I gestured Hannah to follow me and she did. "Hazel..." she spoke. "Are you even sure that my dad and the boys are in here...?" I can tell by her voice that she was very skeptical about this building.

"Of course I am," I convinced her, grabbing the handle of the door, pulling it open, and was surprised to see that it opened easily due to the large size of it, since the hotel is more castle like then a regular old building. "I don't know, but my mind told me that they're in here somewhere..." I stepped in, the inside smelling like moth balls. I sneeze when some dust got into my nose.

"Bless you," Hannah said.

"Thanks," I replied. I looked around and spotted a desk with a Horror going through some hotel room keys. "Excuse me?" I walked over to him in a casual manner. He looked up when he saw me.

"Hello," he greeted with a grin. "Welcome to the _Stagger Inn Hotel_. Come in and stay as long as you like," he invited in a throaty growl just like the other Horrors have.

Well, you know me, I don't smile anymore, so I just gave him a frown and solemn look that I always carry on my face. "We're not here to stay," I answered, not taking his welcome at all. "Were three guys here?" I then asked, drumming my fingers on the desk, waiting for his answer.

"Why yes, miss," he replied with a nod. "The older man just told me that he and two young teenage boys are just checking the place out. I don't blame them, it's a pretty nice hotel in all of Horrorland." Yeah... right. I'm guessing all of you Horrors say that. "They went that way," he directed, pointing with his green, fury finger.

Hannah nodded. "Okay." She turned to me. "I trust you, girl. Lead the way," she told me.

Walking away from the large desk, we began to look for Stine and the boys. Hannah started calling them out. "Dad? Zach? Champ? Are you guys here?" There was no answer. "Guys?" she called out again. "Where are you? Hazel told me that you're here and I trust her."

"You know, I don't think calling them out will work. Besides, they might be on a different floor. Like the second one," I said. "Come on, let's find the staircase. I don't think the elevators work in this hotel." Going over to the steps that I found, I began to climb up them with Hannah right behind me since the stairs made that groaning sound that you most likely hear in very old buildings.

While we climbed up the groaning stairs, I couldn't help but to feel... uneasy. Like when you sense a ghost or something. And it's not Hannah since she isn't a ghost anymore.

"Hey, Hannah?" I spoke, still feeling uneasy.

"Yeah?" she responded.

I stopped for a split second with her almost bumping into me. "For some reason... we're being watched... I don't know why, but I can just...feel it," I told her, getting a bit anxious, not liking the feeling that I'm receiving at all.

"Relax," she assured me, "I'm sure it's just your imagination…"

"It's _not_ my imagination, Hannah!" I raised my voice. "I swear, we're being watched and it's creepy me out," I kind of argued. I then lowered my head, letting out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry…" I apologized, feeling guilty that I talked to her that way. "Really, I am. I just want to find the guys, look for that damn book and put everything back…"

"It's fine," Hannah forgave me as we went back to climbing the steps. "Let's just find everyone and then we'll-"

Suddenly, the lights got knocked out, along with a shrill scream that we both recognized.

And it's not Hannah's since we were both shocked when it happened all of the sudden, and we both knew who belongs to.

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

Me and the boys kept walking down the second floor, searching for the girls when I stopped at my tracks. I don't know why, but I began to have a bad feeling about this hotel, like something _annoying_ is in this building that wanted to do something with the lights.

Either that, or my head is going wild. I turned to Zach and Champ. "Let's go back downstairs," I suggested. "For some reason, something's gonna happen. It can be just me, but... let's go downstairs and-"

And just like I predicted, the lights went out, filling the whole building into total darkness, and a shrill, girly scream came next to my ear. "Ow!" I cried. "Champ, that's my eardrum!" I hollered, rubbing my ear.

"Sorry," he said.

Once the pain is gone, I tried to see through the darkness, but it's pointless. I can't see anything, not even my own hands. "Okay, let's just wait here until the lights come on," I advised.

"Wait... Just stand here? In the pitch darkness?" Champ squeaked, his voice all shrill and high.

"Yes, Champion," I repeated, "we'll wait until the lights come on."

"I hope they come back on soon. And if they don't, I'll use my-oof." I heard Zach bump into something. "Hey!" he exclaimed, and even though I couldn't see him, I knew he was on the floor. "Watch where you're going."

"Zach?" a voice questioned.

"Oh, my God!" Champ declared in panic. "There's a ghost in this place!" he screamed as I heard him running around in the pitch darkness.

"Uh...I'm not a ghost," the same voice answered. "It's me... Hazel..."

"And Hannah..."

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

In the darkness, we decided to carefully to go up the steps after we heard that scream. Once we got to the top, we tried to make our way down the hall, which is impossible since it's so dark in here, when the screaming continued from the same, familiar voice. Then we heard another one.

"Ow! Champ, that's my eardrum!" I tilted my head to the side. It sounded like Stine hollering at someone.

"Sorry..." That other voice sounded like Champ.

Me and Hannah followed the voices when we heard Stine say, "Okay, let's just wait here until the lights come on."

There was a squeak of fear that replied, "Wait... Just stand here? In the pitch darkness?" It was high and shrill, too.

"Yes, Champ," Stine's voice lingered, repeating his words with annoyance, "we'll wait for the lights to come on."

Then there was a third voice. "I hope they come back on soon. And if they don't, I'll use my-oof." However, he was cut off when he bumped into one of us, which is me. "Hey!" the third voice cried out. "Watch where you're going," he declared almost rudely. I felt offended at first, but I knew he didn't mean it. Besides, if someone did that to me, I'll snap at them, too. But the third voice sounded someone that us both girls recognized, just like how we quickly figured when we heard the last two voices; Stine and Champ.

Anyway, I responded back with a questioning voice in case I'm wrong, which I shouldn't be since I know the third voice belonged to this person. "Zach?"

"Oh, my God!" Before Zach could answer, Champ let out a declaring shout. "There's a _ghost_ in this place!" I heard him running around in the dark. Really? Does he not recognized my voice? I then answered.

"Uh...I'm not a ghost," I mentioned slowly. "It's me... Hazel..."

"And Hannah..." Hannah spoke up as well.

"Hannah...? Hazel...? Are you both alright?" Stine's voice asked since we couldn't see him.

"Yeah," I answered, rubbing my forehead since I bumped into Zach accidentally. "We're both fine," I told him.

"A ghost, a ghost, a ghost, a ghost!" Champ kept on screaming. "Not only there's one ghost, but there's _two_ of them. Both named Hazel and Hannah! Oh, my God, this hotel is _haunted_. It's haunted, guys, it's-" The running of feet stopped, probably in front of us if I'm guessing right.

"Wait..." he realized all of the sudden. "Hazel and Hannah? You're the ghosts?" he said, confusion in his voice.

I let out an an expressive sigh. "No, Champ, we're not ghosts. Especially Hannah since Stine wrote her back into existence," I replied. "Now I do have a flashlight in my backpack. Can I have it back, Stine?" I held out my hand.

"Oh, I have it. Stine gave it to me to carry," Zach explained. "Hold on, stay still so I can give it to you. It's so dark."

It took several tries for him to find my hand. Once I felt the weight of my backpack, I unzipped one of the pockets, feeling around for my flashlight.

When I felt the object, I wrapped it around with fingers, pulling it out. Fiddling with the flashlight, I manage to find the button and pressed it.

It's a small flashlight with really bright light. Luckily, I was pointing down at the floor so no else won't get blind by it. "Alright, now we can see," I verified, holding the flashlight at a downwards angle. I looked at Stine and the boys. "Where were you guys?" I asked them.

"We were going to ask the same thing," Stine answered. "Hannah was supposed to call me when she find you."

"Oh...sorry," she apologized. "I was at the _Vampire Village_ when I found her, and one of the vampires smacked my phone out of my hand and it's now broken," she explained timidly, expecting her father to yell at her.

"Where's your phone?" Champ replied. "Do you have it with you?"

She shook her head. "No, I left it at that village while me and her-" She pointed at me. "-are defending ourselves from blood sucking vampires that turn into bats. Plus, we were almost attacked by other bats from the _Bat Barn_." She looked at her father. "Sorry..." she repeated. "You're not mad at me... are you?" she said, waiting for Stine explode.

Of course, he didn't explode at all. "No, I'm not," he responded. "I'm just glad that you two are okay," he expressed out.

"Can we eat now?" Champ whined.

"Oh, heh," Stine chuckled. "I did promise the boys that once we find you girls-well, you two actually found us, that we stop and take a snack break. I did gave Champ an apple but he wasted it." He gave Champ a firm look.

"It had worms on it from that tunnel we went through," he exclaimed, raising his hands. "How many times do I have to tell you that?" He had a frustrated look that I never saw on him since he's always a happy person unlike me.

"I don't want to argue with you," Stine ignored his question. "Let's sit down and eat in this...hotel."

So that's what we did. We took a break and had some snacks that I packed. Like I told the others, we needed things to survive this creepy park, and food is one of them.

By the time we're finished, we made our way out of the hotel with the lights still out, the flashlight being the only light we have.

When we stepped outside of the castle-like building, I turned it off since there's light all around the amusement park of Horrorland, just like you see in other big parks during the night time.

"Okay, now let's find the book so we can-"

"Put everything back in the book?" a minion-like voice completed, finishing Stine's sentence. We heard his footsteps stop in front of us. "That's not gonna happen..." he spoke. "I said that during this challenge is to see how long you can survive here... But..." He giggled. "You all lose."

"Not true!" I yelled. "I told them what a fraud you are! You fraud about us leaving this park if we survive, which we did, and you fraud when you told me that these people aren't my friends!"

"I'm not a fraud," the Invisible Boy replied. "I'm a liar," he boasted with a grin that we couldn't see.

"That's what fraud means," I explained shortly. "Even Slappy is a fraud for telling me the same lie that you told me." Oh, good God, I said the wooden dummy's name. I then gave the Boy an angry look. "Tell us where the book is!" I demanded him. "Or I'll hit you with my backpack," I threatened, ready to take it off my back.

"You shall not do that..." he sneered. "Monster Police!" he then suddenly declared. "Take these humans to the dungeon," he ordered.

_"What?!"_ all five of us reacted.

We looked straight ahead and saw the Monster Police run up to where we are, ready to grab us... And take us to...the dungeon.

We tried to move out of the way, but they were too quick and dragged us there.

* * *

"Ahh!" Hannah screamed

"Whoa!" Zach yelled.

"Hey!" Stine cried.

"Ow!" I declared.

"Put me down, or I'll give you one swift punch!" But the Monster Police ignored Champ's threat, throwing him in the dungeon cellar just like they did with the rest of us, closing the door and locked it. Then they walked away.

"'With one swift punch'," Zach quoted with his fingers, not impressed by Champ's words that he gave to the monsters that had been wearing police outfits. "Real smooth, dude," he smiled sarcastically. "_Real_ smooth."

"Hey, I did my best, okay?" Champ defended. "I thought my threat will scare them or something."

"Or something," Stine echoed, leaning against the wall. "Besides, we may never get out of here," he said hopelessly, taking off his glasses, cleaning the lenses with his shirt. I bet he does that a lot with those things.

I rubbed the back of my head where it's now getting a little sore from being thrown in here by force, when something caught my eye over at a pile of old rags. Getting up from the hard, dirty floor, I walked over to it. Then I got down on my knees, throwing the rags all over the place.

"Hazel, what are you doing?" Hannah asked me, ducking away from the rags. "Do you know how dirty those rags are?"

"I see something," I replied, continuing to throw the rags all over the cell. After I was finished, my eyes widen. "Guys, come here!" I exclaimed in pure shock. I heard them come over to me as I picked up the object.

Stine gasped. "Could it be...?" But he couldn't finish his sentence.

It was something that we've been looking for hours.

A manuscript titled _One Day At Horrorland_.


	15. Chapter 15: The Invisible Boy's Defeat

**Note: Before you read this chapter, I know I've been asking for reviews on my first fanfic along with that mini side story I made. But you can review when I **_**finish **_**my first fanfic. So when it is finish, you'll see on the description on the saying something like: Status Complete, which will be easier for those who are reading my story to know that the story ended. I also did that for **_**Goosebumps: Broken**_**. Good idea? Yeah? Well, why are you still reading this? Go ahead and read the fifteenth chapter called **_**The Invisible Boy's Defeat. **_

**Disclaimer: This is gonna be a short chapter. I don't have a lot of ideas for this one, so...yeah. Just to give you readers a heads up.**

**Also, check out for new chapters everyday.**

**Plus just to let the new readers know, note has to be changed because of editing.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: The Invisible Boy's Defeat**

* * *

I picked up the manuscript off the floor, wiping the dirt off to get it clean. The leather covering felt smooth against my fingers as I gripped it. I looked at the two clasps tightly together, telling me it's locked up somehow. I looked over at the others, holding the manuscript.

"Do any of you got a key? Like a manuscript key?" I had to whisper to ask them in case those Monster Police are still in the area. "Because once we get out of this prison we can put everything back in the book," I said.

Stine shook his head. "I wish I had it..." he answered. "But I don't. I guess I forgot to grab it off my desk before we came here."

"That's great," Zach voiced out sarcastically. "Plus, how are we gonna get out of here?" he asked, walking around before going over to the door. He tried to kick it down but with no success. "We're trapped in here for who knows how long." He kicked the door again, as if to try to break it down. Only it didn't. He looked at Stine. "I can't believe you forgot the key!" he yelled at him.

"It's not _my _fault!" Stine argued, casting an angry glare at the kid. "If that stupid Boy hadn't spied on us, we wouldn't be in this hell dungeon. And I wish I _did _grabbed that damn key, Zach," he added. "And furthermore, you don't raise your voice at me because _I'm _your English teacher," he then scolded, pointing his finger at the same teen.

"Well, Mr. Know-It-All," Zach attacked back, "since you're a teacher, you should've been smart enough not to forget the manuscript key. But guess what? _You don't have it!_" he screamed, causing Hannah to back away from him.

"Zach…" she spoke.

"And I wish you never opened that book back in your earlier days, even though we weren't there at that time," he kept on yelling, ignoring Hannah. "Thanks to you, we're never gonna get out of here!" He raised his hands to show what he meant.

"Zach…" Hannah tried again, but Zach kept on going.

"My mom is gonna end up calling those stupid cops, thinking I was kidnapped. Or worse, _killed_," he fumed, eyes glaring at Stine. "I'm her _only _kid. I don't have any siblings or cousins at all! Not only I'm worried about her, she's also does the same with me!" He pointed at himself. "I wish you hadn't written these books," he continued on, trying his best to interrogate Stine just like the last time, except he kept his arms crossed as Zach kept blowing steam at him. "Why couldn't of you written about-"

_**"ZACH, STOP IT!" **_Hannah got in front of him and screamed. "It's not his fault," she defended her father, who kept maintaining his stance. "If we can get out of here, we can leave Horrorland and get the key," she told him.

Zach eyed at her. "And how are we gonna get out of here?" he questioned her.

"Um…" She tried to think of an answer, but came out empty. "I'm not sure…" she replied.

Zach smirked and scoffed. "Typical." He shook his head. "You know, I only came here to help you guys defeat that annoying Boy. I also wish you had the answer on how to get out of here," he blew out, turning away from her, taking a few steps forward.

"It also looks like you don't trust my own dad or any of us!" Hannah proclaimed angrily, stomping her foot on the floor.

"Then maybe I'll be better of with people unlike _YOU!_" he exclaimed, going up to her real close and glared at her.

She gasped in shock, feeling very imitated by him for the first time. All of us saw tears forming in her eyes as she stared down at the floor, leaving Zach in shock to what he had just said to her.

Realizing how wrong those words sounded after he let them out, he looked down at her. "Hannah..." he started, only she didn't want to hear it.

"I don't want to talk to you right now…" She looked up at him. "If you think your better off without me... then fine," she responded.

"No... No, no, no, no," he answered quickly, shaking his head. "I'm just frustrated, that's all," he assured her. "I didn't really mean it. I'm just upset that we hadn't stopped those freaks," he explained to her. "You know what I mean?" he asked. "Besides..." he smiled. "I'm _not _better off without you."

She wiped the water works out of her eyes. "You mean it…?" Hannah said. He nodded his head and she did a small smile. "Okay, I forgive you." They were about to kiss when Stine got between them.

"Wait until we stop the Boy," he suggested, not wanting them to get all love-like right now. "Now let's figure out a way to- Hazel, what are you doing?" Everyone turned to see what I was doing, seeing me digging into my backpack. "Hazel." Stine approached me. "What are you doing?" he repeated.

"I think I have something to unlock the manuscript once we get out of here." I continued to dig through my backpack. "While you guys were arguing, I realized that I packed a safety pin in case you forgot the key, which you did," I said. "So I decided to be prepared just in case this would happen," I explained. "It's in here somewhere..." After a few seconds of searching, I manage to find the safety pin, which is basically a paper clip to hold papers together, and put it in my front pocket so I know where it is. "Okay." I stood up, picking my backpack off the floor. "Let's get out of thing thing," I directed towards them.

"How are we gonna do that?" Champ questioned. "There's no way for us to get out, Hazel," he reminded me.

"Oh really..." Walking towards one of the walls, I kicked it a few times, and the wall crumbled in front of me. "The walls are made out of dirt," I told them after catching their reactions. "I didn't realize it until I inspected them before I dug through my backpack."

"Wow," Stine breathed out. "You should be proud of that," he empathized with a grin.

"I would if I can smile," I returned with a soldem look. "Come on, I had a feeling that this leads out of our cells." I walked into the tunnel, turning my flashlight on in case we lose some lighting.

"Oh, God..." I heard Champ's voice echoed behind me. "This is really creepy..." He then gasped. "Is that a snake!?" he cried. "Kill it!" he exclaimed.

I turned to see Zach pick something off the ground. "It's a piece of old rope, dude," he told him then laughed. "I can't believe that this old thing freaked you out," he proclaimed, slapping Champ on the back.

"It's not funny," he muttered.

"It was a _bit _funny." Zach let out another chuckle, then tossed the rope aside.

"It wasn't funny, Zach," Hannah scolded her boyfriend, defending Champ.

"Aw, come on. I said it was a bit funny." He playfully elbowed her and she gave him a raised brow. "Oh..." he realized, picturing his best friend's point of view. "I see..." He was about to say something to him when he spoke first.

"It's cool, man," he forgave, even though Zach didn't apologize. "But you did hurt my back," he added, rubbing it.

"You're a wimp," Zach joked.

But Champ felt a little offended. "Not cool."

Zach raised his hands. "Okay, I'll stop," he surrendered. "How far does this tunnel go?" he asked, walking right next to me.

"I would answer, but we already made it out. Look." I pointed my flashlight at the end of the tunnel. "This way," I led, running to the exit.

"Wait for us, Hazel!" Stine hollered as I heard their shoes thumping on the ground. "Hazel, wait!" he called out.

Once we got the exit, we found a spiral staircase leading upstairs. Not hesitating, I began to walk up the steps, gripping the railing.

"I hate these kind of stairs," Champ explained as we continued climbing. "You know. The ones where you can see the ground, just like those lighthouses," he said. "I _hate _those things."

"You hate everything," Stine said.

"No I do not!"

Stine rolled his eyes at the teen's protest. He also noticed my expression on my face as I looked straight ahead. "You look determined," he noted.

"I just want to get this over with," I responded in a serious manner. "Once I get to that boy... I'll kill him," I vowed.

"The monsters can't be killed," he reminded me.

I blinked. "...Oh. Yeah."

"My legs are getting tired," Champ complained. "Do you see any spiders up there?"

"Not that I know of," Hannah gave her honest opinion.

"Awsome," he said sarcastically, not liking her answer at all. "Are we up there yet?" he now whined. "Seriously, my legs feel like they're gonna fall off," he spoke.

I pointed my flashlight up and saw the exit. "Yeah, I see a door," I reported over my shoulder. "Come on." I picked up my pace with the others right behind me.

By the time we got to the door, I flung it open. "Come on, we can open the book-" I stopped to see the Monster Police in front of us. "Oh, come on!" I declared in frustration.

"Where do you think _you're _going?" one of them growled.

"Yeah, and how did you get out of your cell?" the other questioned.

Stine stepped in front of me as if to use himself as a shield against them, keeping me and everyone safe from them. "You know," he began, "you should've had better walls in your cells or else they're gonna fall apart." He smirked at them. "However, if you don't get out of our way... I'll pinch you," he warned, changing his expression.

The two Horrors looked at each other, and the first one looked at Stine. "We don't want to get pinched," he informed. "But we have a much sturdier place for the five of you humans. Now let us get to you another-_OW!_" He suddenly screamed when Stine pinched the Monster Police's face. "Hey!" he yelped when the author realised him. "What did you do?!" he snared out. "I'm melting, I'm melting..." After his final words, all we saw now was a melted Horror.

"Oh, that's sick," Hannah groaned, clutching onto Zach.

"You wanna get pinched, too?" Stine challenged the other one.

"Uh, no, no," the other one shook his head. "You go on right ahead," he allowed.

So we walked past him and finally manage to find our way outside to Horrorland. Stine seemed to look around. "Now..." he started. "Where is that annoying imbecile?" he wondered. He took a step forward, looking around. "Oh!" He let out a cry and slouched forward.

"Dad!" Hannah screamed, running up to him. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Ugh, yes," he groaned. "Something just punched me in the stomach..."

"Ha-ha. Ha-ha," a familiar voice laughed, sounding very obnoxious. "Did that hurt, father?" he faked in concern.

"The Invisible Boy!" Stine gasped.

"That's right..." he sneered. "Ha-ha!"

"It's not funny!" I defended Stine. "You, the Horrors, and everything are going back in this book," I proclaimed, taking out my paper clip and adjusted it. And just as I was about to unlock the manuscript, the book was taken away from me. "Hey!" I protested, grabbing the other end of it. "Let go, Boy!" I commanded.

"I'm not going in..." he seethed. "How about _you _let go, girly?" he countered back.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Not a chance..." Quickly, I used my right hand and took off my backpack, and smacked the Boy.

"Yah!" We heard him fall on the ground. "Not cool!" he screamed. We heard his footsteps as he picked himself off the ground. "I'm not going in that book," he vowed. "Horrors, get them!" he commanded.

Over a hundred Horrors came running towards us. Stine looked over at us. "Go!" he cried. "Go, go, go, go!" he quickly repeated, motioning his hands for us to get going.

Of course, we didn't stand around, and we ran as fast as we can. I made sure to keep a good grip on the book so I won't end up dropping it. "Which way should we go?" I called over.

"That way to the entrance," Stine pointed up ahead.

"But they're locked!" Champ hollered as he ran.

"I said that they do open," he reminded the awkward teen over his shoulder. "There it is!" We made it to the gate, and Stine grabbed it, flinging it open. How did he get them open? Champ couldn't do it. Oh well... "Into one of those buses," he directed, running to the first one that he spotted. "Hurry," he exclaimed.

Getting onto the bus, he waved for us to get on as well. "Hurry. Quick, quick, quick," he urged in a fast voice.

Quickly, we got on the bus and sat down on the seats. "Do you know how to drive a bus?" Zach asked, which is the most dumbest question to say.

"Boy, I wish I knew," Stine answered back sarcastically. "Yes, I know to drive this thing." Turning the bus key and stepping on the gas pedal, we sped away as far as we can away from the amusement park. I looked behind me, seeing the Horrors chasing us.

"Faster!" I cried. The others were about to say some similar words to mine, but Stine interrupted them.

"Don't _any _of you start hollering at me to go in different directions," he warned, casting them a glare. "I'll go faster."

"Step on it!" Champ then sank in his seat when Stine gave him an angry look. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Just...just drive as fast as you can," he told him. "Make sure they don't catch up to us."

Driving as fast as he can, Hannah said something. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere to open that book and get everything back in there. Even that crappy Boy." While Stine continued driving, he turned somewhere and hit the brakes. "Get out of the car, quick," he ordered. Not wasting any second, we did as we were told. "Hazel, unlock the book, hurry!"

"Me?" I responded. "You want me to unlock the book?"

He opened his mouth until we heard a shout. "Don't unlock that book, girly!" It was the Invisible Boy and we can hear his running footsteps, only we weren't sure where they're coming from since we couldn't see him.

"Unlock the book, Hazel. Now!" Stine repeated as he and my friends, my _true _friends, backed away to give some space.

Using the paper clip, I picked at the two clasps and, just like with all the manuscripts, it unlocked, flying out of my hands. It landed on the ground and a blew beam shot up to the sky as strong wind came.

While we shield ourselves from the dirt and debris, we saw all the Horrors going into the book, including everything from Horrorland from the strong current. And as all the Horrors and everything got sucked into the book, I gagged when I felt hands around my throat, strangling me.

"This was supposed to be _my _moment!" the Boy screeched, making my ears ring.

I grabbed his invisible wrists. "Well, guess what, Boy? You don't get one. You're such a..." I ripped his hands off my neck. "...menace," I finished. Again, using my backpack, I hit him hard enough for him to go into the vortex.

"No... _Nooo!_" he screamed in a defeated tone of voice. "I wanted to win! It should be me!" he completed his final words. "And this book isn't based around me at all!" And, after his final words, he got sucked into the manuscript, and it closed up and the wind died away.

Picking it up, I locked it, and the others ran up to me. Hannah had a grin on her face.

"That was fantastic, Hazel!" she beamed. "Doesn't that make you happy?"

"I wish it did..." I returned in a dull voice that I always carry. "But like I said, I can't smile anymore."

She sighed. "I still wish you can…" she hoped.

"Hey, I might do it someday… it's just…" I sighed. "...that I can't anymore."

There was an awkward pause until Stine spoke up. "Well, time for a celebration. Who likes apple pie? Lorraine baked it and brought to my house a few days ago," he told us.

"Great idea, Stine," Zach agreed as Hannah and Champ nodded their heads. He turned to me, smiling. "Do you like pie?" he asked.

It took me a second to answer. "...yeah, I do."

"Great, now let's get home." Stine took the manuscript out of my hand and started walking.

Champ sighed. "More walking… but at least we can have some pie," he said, looking at the bright side.

While the others walked, I caught up with them, wondering when I'll smile. Sighing, I told myself that'll do it someday and it'll take time.

But that's the only problem... People like me will have the same feeling...

Forever.

* * *

Over at Stine's house, while everybody enjoyed Lorraine's pie which is pretty good in my honest opinion, I couldn't help but to… think about the past...even after I told Hannah. She said it'll help make me feel better, except it didn't. In fact, I'm not really hungry at all, either.

"I'm…" I got up from the table, letting my fingers go through my hair. "I'm going to sit in the living room before I go," I told them, leaving my uneaten pie all by itself.

"Is something wrong…?" Stine asked just as I was about to step out of the dining room.

I looked away from the others. "...Nothing's wrong… I just want to have some alone time. For myself," I replied.

"Hazel...are you crying…?" Hannah questioned me.

"No, I'm not!" I snapped at her, my moods quickly switching around, the moisture still in my eyes as I gave her an angry look before going my back to my depressed mood. I saw the shock look on her face after I did that.

However, the wetness in my eyes didn't fade away as the water works went down my face, and instead of going into the living room to let my emotions out, I fled out of the dining room and out the back door, leaving the others sit there with stunned looks on their faces.

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

Me and the kids were left in shock after Hazel snapped at us, mainly at my daughter. So I turned to the others. "I wonder why she always feels like that," I said, setting my fork down on my empty plate.

"I know why," my daughter spoke up softly. "It's because she had a rough childhood when she was five," she explained. "You see… when I found her… she told me about the past when she was really little. Her real parents died in a car crash and she ended living with her god parents. She told me at first that she was excited to meet them, but instead of treating her nicely, they give bruises, mainly her god father. She even said that her god brother who is older than her will tell lies to them. Especially this guy name Jeff who's her god father who to me does more of the beatings then her god mother, Kelly. Travis is her god brother and he sounds like a really bad person. I thought having her talk about it will make her feel better..." She sighed, pushing her plate in front of her. She then looked up at me. "I even offer if she can live with since she's tired of living on her own ever since she found that abandoned house when she was five right after she quit school, so I wanted to ask you before I forget, so...can she stay with us, dad?" she asked me.

I thought about if for a while. "Sure, she can stay with us as long as she can. Besides, I do see her as my own daughter." I then smiled. "I can enroll her in school-"

"Oh no. No, no, no." Hannah shook her head real fast. "She requested that she won't go to school, fearing that she'll run into her old classmates. Dad, please don't make her go to school. Just buy her a laptop so she can go on school online," she begged in a pleading tone of voice.

"Hannah..." I began to give her the look, but she kept on insisting. "Alright fine, I won't make her go to school and have her do it online. I'll just have to ask my boss if it is okay for her to do that. Plus, I believe she needs help, too. You know. On why she's showing those these symptoms." I got up from the table, having my fingers go through my hair. "I think she may have a mood disorder or something..." I thought out loud.

"I've been thinking that it could be depression or bipolar," Hannah brought up. "Or it could be both," she added, thinking about it.

"Maybe," I agreed with her. "You three stay here and I'll deal with her," I told them, stepping out of the dining room to the kitchen to the back door. I slowly opened it to see Hazel screaming at the top of her lungs, kicking the fence. "I better stop her before she wakes up the whole neighborhood."

Stepping out the door, I made my way carefully towards Hazel as she continued her raging fit, not wanting to startle her just in case she lunges at me, which she won't.

Taking a deep breath, I spoke. "Hazel..."

_"What?"_ she asked angrily before she realized it was me. "Oh...I'm so sorry," she apologized, regaining herself once her angry expression was wiped off her face. "I didn't know it was you…" she said, suddenly feeling down as if she felt bad for shouting at me. "Really. I am," she continued to apologize. "I just..." She sat down on the grass, her hands covering her eyes. "I just don't know what's wrong with me," she completed in all honesty. "Hannah even told me that after I tell her about my past life...I'll feel better. But... I guess that didn't. Nothing makes me feel better, Stine... Nothing does." The water works started up again and she blinked very fast to keep them in, only to fail miserably.

I sat down next to her, wrapping my arms around her. She automatically flinched, not liking this at all. I know she told me she hates being touched, and now I know why after Hannah explained to me what her god family did to her, but she needs to start getting used to it again. Not only that she doesn't want anyone else to touch her, I bet she never touched other people, either. I even bet she never been hugged her whole entire life, if I'm guessing right.

While I kept my arms around her, she was trying not show the anxiety that began to build up on her as she began trembling that I had to let go right away before she starts having a panic attack.

She still kept her eyes on the ground, not daring to look at me. "Let me see your pulse," I requested.

"No..." Hazel mumbled. "Because you _hugged me even though I told you before that I DON'T LIKE BEING TOUCHED!_" she screamed on top of her lungs, facing towards me with angry tears in her eyes. "Thanks a lot," she thanked, trying not to be too sarcastic. "I'm really glad that you did that to me."

"Let me see your pulse, Hazel," I repeated gently. She didn't move and kept blazing her eyes at me. Then with a defeated sigh, she awkwardly gave me her wrist. Again, she flinched when I took her wrist, checking her pulse.

"Your heart rate...it's really high," I spoke slowly.

"Gee, I didn't know that," she responded, giving me an attitude, this time sounding very sarcastic towards me. "Like I said, I don't like being touched," she reminded me.

"And it seems like you don't touch others, either," I added.

"Mm hm," she merely answered in return.

"And Hannah did told me why you feel that you are feeling...now," I kept talking, and I bet she was listening, because she was nodding her head. "She even asked me if she can stay with us, and so I said that you can..." She looked at me with a surprised look. "But," I continued, "you have to do school online. Every morning on from Monday to Friday. Tomorrow is Sunday, and I want to take you somewhere to get help on why you have having these mood swings."

"Sure... but I do have a lot of stuff like my clothes and books, your books, at my place," Hazel told me. "And yeah... I do need help. Lots of it, to be exact," she remarked, referring her condition that she has.

"Wanna go back inside...?" I asked, standing back up.

It took her a moment to answer. "...sure." Getting off the ground, she walked inside the house with me.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

During the rest of the night, after Zach and Champ said goodbye and left, Stine showed me one of the guest rooms, which is right next to Hannah's. Stine said we can go get my stuff next week or tomorrow since I'm going to get help.

However, I wasn't sure help will actually...well...help me. Like I keep mentioning, nothing makes me feel better. And what Stine did to me wasn't great at all. I never liked being touched, and he's right about me not touching others. I know he thought that one hug will help me get used to physical contact, but... I sighed, turning over to my other side as I stared out the window, the moonlight hitting the floor.

"Maybe things will get better," I talked to myself, watching the stars blink and twinkle after the clouds went away. "But..." Another sigh slipped out of my lips, pulling the covers closer to the side of my face. "...what if nothing gets better in my life?" I questioned, thinking about it. "What if having help for the condition that I have never works...?" I began to doubt on it. Except... I do need it. Very badly.

With a tear that slipped out my eye, I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to come.


	16. Chapter 16: A New Start

**Chapter 16: A New Start**

* * *

_I sat outside of Stine's house, my eyes on the empty one across the street. For some reason, my mind told me to go over there. But the part of me shouldn't because something tells me that someone that I fear the most is now living there. So I listened to it, not going near that house as I stood up and walked down the sidewalk and away from Stine's house. It was early in the morning, like six a.m. and everybody is still sleeping that hour. Stine and Hannah are not even awake at that time yet, and I think just having a small stroll in town will keep my mind busy for awhile, maybe help forget the past._

_But the memories of my childhood still stuck inside my head. I can almost feel the soreness of where I get hit by Jeff, remembering his burning eyes that went through mine when I was a small child... Kelly blowing angry steams at me for no reason at all... And Travis...the cruel god brother that he is, telling stupid fibs to my god parents, making sure my life is as miserable as he can for me._

_Actually, for some reason, I've been thinking about Travis for an unknown reason. Why am I thinking about him? Hannah did ask me if I'll run into him someday, and I answered straight away that I do not want to see him. Ever. He'll make my life more of a living hell. That's what he wants to do to me._

_My pace quickened when I saw someone waving me over. I couldn't see the person's face as he or she hid in the shadows that I had to stop and turn, getting away from that eerie person._

_I ran down the sidewalk, quickly going back to Stine's house, making it there. I heard walking shoes and I knew that I shouldn't see who it is, only it was too late. The person stepped closer to me, lifting the hood off its head, and smirked at me. The signature smirk that I know too well... along with his physical appearance._

"_Who…?" I manage to speak. "Who...are you...?" I asked in a trembling voice._

_He kept his smirk on his face and didn't speak._

"_Who are you?" I repeated my question._

"_Why did you do it?" he asked, ignoring my question. "Why did you run away like that?" The smirk never left him. "How come you ran away from home...? Why...?"_

_Right away... I knew who he was. My-_

* * *

"Hazel, time to get up!" I immediately woke up, my eyes shooting open then shut them tight when the morning sun hit them when I heard Hannah cheerfully calling awake. "Get up, Hazel," she repeated. "Dad made French toast for your first day of staying with us," she gleamed, pulling the covers off of me. "He told me to get you so you can be ready so he can take you to the doctor and after that, get your stuff at your home and bring them here," she explained, her voice still very bright. Boy, she seems happy for my first day of staying here, even though it started last night. "Will you like powdered sugar or syrup on your French toast?" she asked, once she stood in front of me while I sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"Mm, how about syrup with blueberries on the side," I requested in a sorrowful voice. "If you guys don't have blueberries, strawberries is fine with me."

She grinned. "Sure, I'll just go tell dad." I didn't look up when I heard her leave guest room, which is now my _new _bedroom. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and sat there for a whole five minutes. Then I stood up, going over to the window.

I looked down at the neighborhood, staring at people of all ages doing their morning Saturday routine, wondering what they are doing. I leaned my forehead on the glass, feeling tired. I didn't had a good night sleep at all if I'm being honest as possible. Either that, or it could be from looking for the manuscript all night in Horrorland which is now gone into the book along with the Horrors and that Invisible Boy. In fact, I have no idea where Stine hid the book. Not only that, I don't know where he hid the new one that he has written a few nights ago that trapped all the monsters that Slappy realised.

Slappy... For some reason, the dream that I had switched towards him... The evil dummy that wanted to freak me out after I was taken by him from Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage. I tried my best to stop him on my own, only for him to bite me and leaving me foreign words. I never checked the spot on where I got bit, fearing that the words are still there… Even after Slappy hollered out to me that it's only permanent except when he gets trapped in a book...like he is now...thinking that his words are a lie. Like when he whispered to me, telling me that I was betrayed by my friends, which again, has been a lie.

My mood switched after thinking about that demon doll and what he had done to me. I felt angry all of a sudden, but I still felt fatigued, and didn't have much energy to let it out. So I waited for my anger to go away, closing my eyes.

Some of it slipped off my chest, but my sadness still stayed inside me. Whatever doctor Stine is taking me, I'm not entirely sure if it'll help or not... If it does, that's...great. If not, then I'll have to-

"Hazel." I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Stine's voice, startling me, having me quickly face him. "Did I scare you?" he chuckled.

"...kinda," I mumbled, my eyes feeling heavy. "I was just thinking...about what doctor your taking me to." That part was true, so I told him about the other one, just so he won't get suspicious. "And I've been thinking about that demon doll," I muttered.

"You mean Slappy?" Stine inquired, lifting a brow. "I've been thinking about him, too. I don't know why, though, but…" He ran his fingers through his dark hair. "...for some reason, I felt bad for him." He noticed the look on my face. "What?" he asked, catching my reaction.

"You feel bad for him?" I repeated his words. "After what he did to me!?" I yelled, my sadness quickly turning into anger, switching moods all over again. "Why in the _hell _would you feel bad for him?!" I glared at him. "He attacked me Stine and you feel _bad _for him?!" I then scoffed. "Don't answer me. I don't want to hear it."

"Hazel, I just feel sorry for him," he explained.

"_Sorry for him?!" _I shrieked on top of my lungs. "Why? Because you have to trap him in the new manuscript with all of his friends? Huh? Is that it?" I knew I was losing control at this moment and my anger never went away. It just kept building up inside me. "After what that stupid ass dummy done to me, you feel _sorry for him!?_" I exploded, my throat getting all raw from the volume that I am using. "What? Did locking him that manuscript didn't make you feel better?" I asked, referring to the scene that happened at the amusement park. "Didn't you forget what he _said _to me, Stine? He said that you and everyone else that helped stop the monsters told me that you guys betrayed me, which you _didn't!_" I crossed my arms. "How do you really feel about him? Huh?" I questioned him.

"I told you, Hazel, I just feel bad for locking him in that book," he insisted. "It even happened back before I lived here and before I created Hannah and before I wrote that new manuscript. It happened back in Columbus, Ohio after I found out that my first wife lied to me before we got engaged," he told me.

"I thought you're dating Lorraine," I replied confused, my anger fading away. "And I thought you wrote those monsters because of those bullies," I referred to the story that he told me and the boys once we got to his place after that Abominable Snowman that attacked my friends and that I had to save their lives before they end up losing it.

"That too," Stine nodded. "Although…" he began thinking. "I was wondering if it's okay that I can-"

"No," I cut him off. "Don't release Slappy out of that book. I hate dolls and dummies, they freak me out," I explained to him. "Get it, got it, good," I quickly answered before he even started asking me questions. "Now let's eat and then you can take me to this doctor that you are taking me. Hope it helps though. I'll be downstairs, then. I just need to get ready by just getting my hair fixed."

He nodded again. "Sure," he responded. "Me and Hannah will be in the dining room. Take your time," he requested for me. And after that, he left the room, hearing his shoes in the hallway and down the stairs to the dining room.

After standing in the room for a few seconds, I went to the bathroom and grabbed one of the hair brushes and brushed the tangles out of my hair. "Why does he feel sorry for that stupid demon ass doll?" I thought out loud. "And no way Stine is letting him out of that new manuscript. Even if asks permission from me, my answer will be no," I clarified to myself once I got my hair smoothed down. I put the brush away after cleaned it off. Then I made my way downstairs in the dining room.

My nose caught the smell of French toast by the time I got there. It would make me happy, but a smile never appeared on my face as I sat down at the table. "These look good," I complemented, picking my fork up. "And you even put syrup and both strawberries and blueberries," I noted. I my eyes started to feel heavy and I felt fatigued again.

"You look tired," Hannah noticed. "Did you sleep well last night?" she asked after taking a long drink of apple juice that is in a glass cup, setting it back down on the table top now being half empty.

"I think so..." I rubbed my eyes. "Either that, or it's from running around all night yesterday from looking for that _One Day At Horrorland _manuscript to trap everything. And I rather not know where you hid it." I swallowed my first piece of French toast. "I did have a dream..." I brought up all of a sudden.

"What was it about?" Stine finished his plate, putting his fork on it.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not sure... All I remember is this person who looks very familiar to me…" I answered slowly while I was eating. "After he pulled his hood off his head, I recognized his physical appearance. I asked him who he is, but he ignored it and asked _me _questions like 'Why did you do it'," I repeated the person's words. "I knew who he was, only I didn't have time to say it since Hannah woke me out of that dream." I put my hand on my cheek. "I feel like it's gonna end up being true because how real it felt," I said softly, finishing my plate off.

It was silence for a few minutes until it was broken when Hannah started laughing. "Oh, come on, Hazel," she giggled. "Dreams don't come true," she told me.

"Hannah." Stine gave her a scolding look. "Don't laugh at her," he said sternly.

"Sorry..." she apologized, sinking in her chair a bit. "It wasn't one for your flashbacks, right?" she questioned, changing her expression with a worried look.

"No." I shook my head. "It's something different," I murmured, but loud enough for both of them to hear my words. "By the way, what doctor are you taking me?" I asked Stine, changing the subject.

"A therapist," he answered, standing up from his chair and grabbed our dishes. "I called her after you went to bed and told her about your problems," he explained as both of us girls followed him into the kitchen.

"Really?" I lifted a brow. "How far is it?"

"Not too far." He rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. "We have to walk there since I won't get a new car in several months," he informed me.

"I don't mind walking," I shrugged over the grinding noises from the garbage disposal.

"Good. Come on, we got to get there before eight thirty." Walking into the living room, I went with him and Stine looked at his daughter. "Don't let any boys in this house," he joked.

Hannah laughed. "What if it's only Zach?"

"He's only allowed when I'm in the house, young lady," he repeated his joke, along with a chuckle. "Ready to go, Hazel?" he directed towards me.

I finished tying my shoes and nodded. "Yeah... Let's go," I softly exclaimed with no enthusiasm once so ever.

While we walked, my mind played that dream that I had and I let out a sigh. "Stine," I spoke, breaking the silence. "What if this therapist doesn't help?" I wondered.

"I'm sure she's great," he reassured me, patting my shoulder and I flinched. "Sorry." He put his hand down. "Like I said, I told her about the problems that you have and she said that she _might _know what you have. Only she won't be too sure until she sees you." He smiled. "And she sounded very nice, too," he added.

I rolled my eyes. "Great," I answered. "And after my appointment we can get my stuff at my house?" I remembered.

"If I had a car I would," he admitted. "How about we wait until I get car so we won't have to make so many trips?" he suggested, thinking about what he said was bad.

"...sure..." I accepted, agreeing with him. "I can wait." We kept walking until we came across a one story building. "Is that it?" I asked, pointing at it.

"Looks like it," he replied, not too sure of himself. "But we have to go in and see just in case." He walked over to the door and held it open. "Ladies first," he offered kindly.

"Thanks." I stepped in, seeing that we stepped into a waiting room. Not a lot of people are here so it wasn't too busy, and I'm okay with it. In fact, I'm okay being around small groups or being by myself.

"Go sit over there." Stine pointed at one of the chairs near a bookshelf. I went over there and sat down. Not until I pulled out a book and flipped through it. I felt Stine next to me as he sat next to me on another chair. "We got here just in time and they'll see you in a half an hour." I nodded once he informed about it. "What are you reading?" he asked.

"I don't know." I set the book back on its shelf. "I was just flipping the pages," I said. "You know...I do trust you for doing this and I hope my life gets better," I mentioned, going through the books and not finding a good one to read to pass the time. "I should've brought one of my _Goosebumps _books from home," I muttered, getting annoyed. "What am I supposed to do for a half hour of waiting?" I questioned out loud.

"Want to play a board game? They have board games."

I breathed out of my nose. "Sure... Do they have _Shoots And Ladders_?" I can feel the boredness filling up inside me. "If not, then we'll do a different board game, like _Chess_."

"Let me check." Stine got up and went over to where the board games are at. "They have _Chess_," he reported.

"Okay." I got up as well and went over to him and sat down at the table. "Are you going to be black or white?" I asked as he set the game up.

"You can be the white _Chess _pieces and I'll be the black ones," he said. "So you can go first."

"Do you know how to play this?" I asked him.

He pursed his lips together. "It's been awhile," Stine told me. "Only I played this game by myself since I never had _real _friends except those monsters that I created." Wow, why didn't I figure that out? "This one monster beats me every time," he recalled with a chuckle.

"Who was he?" I made my first move on the board. Stine didn't answer and I guess he doesn't want to freak me out. "Is it Slappy?" I guessed, hoping the answer is wrong.

"Yep," he nodded. "You know..." He fixed his glasses. "Me and him used to be in a good relationship before I locked him in his book back in my hometown that I grew up in and when he wrecked havoc in Chicago until..."

"You stopped him in the library at the Town Centre Galleria and some girl helped you," I completed his sentence.

He have me a shocked look. "How did you...?" he started to ask.

"Hannah told me," I explained. "I asked her why she screamed bloody murder the one night." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Turns out that you were about to trap her in her manuscript," I recalled, remembering Hannah's side of the story.

He sighed. "I just lost control, that's all. I was bad dad," he said, feeling sorry for himself.

"No you're not." He looked up at me. "You're not a bad dad," I said compassently. "You just weren't... a perfect dad."

"Heh..." He adjusted his glasses. "You're right. Not all parents are perfect," he agreed, making a move on the board.

"Or great," I added in a muttering tone of voice, remembering the events of my childhood. "Some parents can be cruel to children, just like my god parents and my god brother," I mentioned sarcastically, my eyes narrowing at the board game as I moved another piece, replacing it with Stine's and took it, replacing that piece with my own. "I thought Kelly and Jeff would _love _to have a daughter and for their son to have a little _god _sister," I kept on talking, my anger building up inside me. "But _nooo_, they ended making my life a _terrible HELL!_" People began to stare at us as after I yelled out that word. I took notice of this and felt my cheeks redden with bashfulness. "Sorry that I yelled..." Of course, everyone shrugged and went back to what they are doing as they waited for their next turn. I looked at Stine with a serious look. "But really, those three that I lived with after my real parents are gone hated me. Even the kids at school didn't like me…" I can feel the tears emerging in the corner of my eyes, and quickly dried them with my shirt that I had on yesterday. I looked at the board while Stine moved his piece, taking mine. I was about to go next when I heard my name being called.

"Hazel Monroe." Yeah... my last name is Monroe... just like the street name that Zach mentioned when he had to call Champ to come over. "Is there a Hazel Monroe?" I looked up to see a young man after he repeated his call.

"Here I am," I revealed myself, getting up from the table. I walked up to him in a casual manner and he smiled. Great, more smiling, I thought sarcastically. "I'm Hazel," I introduced as me and him walked down the hallway.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, too," he returned. "And pretty name, too," he commented, the smile plastered on his face then went down a bit. "I see you don't show any enthusiasm," he said, taking note of my behavior.

I began to feel guilt building up inside me. "...is that a bad thing...?" I worried out, now thinking that not being able to smile is a bad thing to do.

"No. No," he chuckled. "I'm used to seeing people like you come in here," he told me.

"I thought my doctor is a female," I brought up.

"You're right," he smiled. "I just bring the patients into the rooms that they to go in. You know. When you have to get a regular check-up at a doctor's office." We continued walking until we got halfway down the hallway. "And this is the room that your therapist is in and she can't wait to see you, too." He opened the door and I saw a fairly well young lady sitting on one of the soft chairs in front of a couch. "Have a good time," he wished me, leaving me and the lady to give us privacy, which is fine by me.

She waved her hand forward. "Take a seat," she invited in a cheerful tone just like Lorraine has. I did as I was told and sat on the couch. It was very comfy. "I'm Dr. Powell," she introduced. "You must be..." She looked at her clipboard. "Hazel. Right?" She looked at me and I nodded. "Awsome," she beamed. I can tell she's one of those happy people. "Do you want anything to drink? Anything to eat?" she asked, flipping the page. "I can get you some juice or water," she offered kindly.

"No, thanks," I declined, starting to feel uneasy around her. Probably from her cheerfulness. "I just had breakfast," I told her. "You seem happy to see me," I said, making a note of it.

"Oh, sorry. I _do _get a little excited when I get a new patient." A little...? "I mean, I enjoy this job ever since I took it and love meeting new people." Uh huh... "So..." she started. "What seems to be the problem?" she questioned me, her smile turning into a concerned look. "R.L. Stine, who you are staying with now, told me you are having some problems. Is that true?"

"Y-Yeah," I stuttered. "One of the problems is that I can't smile anymore... nor like being touched by others. I don't _even_ touch other people."

"Okay." She wrote something down on a piece of paper. "So tell me how it started. Go _all _the way back and tell me as much as you know by telling me the age that began to happen."

"It started when I was five years old…" I began to retell my story that I told Stine's daughter, my best friend, telling her everything. She took lots of notes and I can tell that was listening because she kept on nodding her head, encouraging me to keep going. I never talked about this much before, I believe. "And then I found an abandoned house and lived on my own for the rest of my life," I finished. "I had to admit it was hard surviving on my own," I said glumly. I then looked at the clock. "Was I really talking for a full hour?" I looked at it in disbelief.

Dr. Powell chuckled. "Yes, time flies by when you're having fun," she grinned. "Okay, now I do have more questions to ask you before I talk to Stine."

I brushed my hair behind my ears. "Okay," I simply replied.

After another hour of her asking questions and me answering them, we went back to the waiting room and waved Stine to come over.

As the door swung shut from the waiting room, my mind is wondering what she's gonna tell him.

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

The door swung closed as Hazel's therapist took me down the hall to talk to me. "So," I began. "Why does she feel sad all the time?" I asked once we stopped.

"Well, Stine, it seems like Hazel has clinical depression..." My eyes widen. "...and it seems like she has haphephobia," she informed me.

"Huh?" I questioned at the last word she said. "Hapwhat?"

"Haphephobia," Dr. Powell repeated the word. "It means the fear of being touched by someone and doesn't like touching other people. There are other names for that phobia," she explained. "However, I do want you to keep a close eye on her," she told me as she handed me a bottle of pills which is likely for Hazel to take.

"How come?" I inquired, putting it in my pocket.

She let out a sigh. "Even though she never told me she has suicidal thoughts, I just want you to keep an eye on her. A lot of my patients committed killing themselves," she explained seriously. "If you see her trying to hurt herself or even try to attempt killing herself, bring her here right away. I also want her to take two pills everyday and I want to see her every Saturday. Again, if she tries to hurt herself or kill herself, bring her here straight away," she instructed. "And also… don't force her into anything that has to do with touching, I'll be working on that, too, with her."

"Got it," I responded before going back to the waiting room and to bring Hazel back to my place, my mind tossing the two health issues that she has...

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

I waited for Stine in the waiting room as the room began to fill up with people that I had to get up and stand over by a wall away from them in case they touch me or anything.

As I waited, a small child came up to me, holding his hand out to me. I know he wants me to shake his hand, but I shook my head. "I don't like to be touched," I explained with a frown. Those words made him kick me on my right leg. "Ow!" I cried out.

"Jacob!" A mom came over, taking her child by the hand. "I am so sorry," she said as I rubbed the pain away. "My son has anger problems," she told me. She looked down at the boy. "That wasn't very nice," she scolded him. "Tell her you're sorry." She pointed at me.

"I don't want to." He crossed his arms and refused. "She's ugly," he said, having my heart drop a beat.

"Jacob, name calling isn't nice, either," his mother intervened. She looked back at me. "I'm sorry. Really."

"It's fine..." I replied, feeling empty. The two sat back at their seats while I patiently waited for Stine. Except, my patient waiting began to die down when I began to feel anger inside of me. What's taking him so long? I wondered to myself, pacing around the room.

Then I heard the door swung open and saw Stine with a look I never saw before. I went up to him. "Well?" I spoke.

"I'll tell you when we get home," he answered, raking his fingers through chestnut hair. I was about it insist him to tell me, but he interrupted me. "Wait until we get home," he told me. With that, he walked out the door and I went with him.

While we walked home, my mind told me to ask Stine what I have, only he told me to wait and then he can tell me.

I hope it's nothing serious.

* * *

I sat down at the living room couch, waiting for Stine to tell me what my therapist told him. Hannah has already been informed and is now telling her boyfriend. I watched Stine pace around the room with the same look after we left the building.

"Are you going to tell me?" I suddenly asked, getting tired of waiting.

"Your doctor informed me that you have clinical depression and haphephobia," he finally answered, putting his hand in his pocket, taking out a bottle of pills and handed them to me. "And the reason I have this worried look is because..." He took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Okay, how about I ask you this. Have you ever had suicidal thoughts?" he wondered.

"Huh? What? No," I answered, holding the pill bottle in my hand. "What makes you think that, Stine?" I lifted my brows up.

"I just wanted to know, and I have to keep a close eye on you," he pointed at me, giving me a stern look. "Just in case you try to hurt yourself or anything… Hazel. Are you listening?"

"Hm?" I looked up. "Yeah, I'm listening. But I'm not going to hurt myself or anything." He gave me a disbelief look. "Fine, you can keep an eye on me," I allowed. "Just... make sure I have my space." I got up from the couch. "I'm going to take these." I walked into the kitchen.

"Two pills," Stine called out.

"I know," I returned. I got to the sink and fill a cup of water. Before I took my first two set of my medication, I read the side effects.

When I did, I let out a groan, not liking the side effects. I almost didn't want to take it... Except, I have to. I need a new start.

And that's what I did...

* * *

A week went by and the side effects never went away. I was getting headaches every time that I take them, making me sleep all day; everyday. Last Saturday I told Dr. Powell about it, and she told me that it'll go away soon. So I tried my best to wait, only it was difficult. I'd asked her if it's okay for me to take aspirin, but she said no, telling me that I shouldn't mix medication so the side effects won't get worse.

More weeks went by, and my headaches never went away. So another Saturday came by, and my therapist gave me a new set of pills. Again, side effects. This time I get cold that I will end up shivering, even when it's warm in the house. The next set of pills made me sick to my stomach, even when I have food in my stomach after I ate something so I can take them. I'll run into the bathroom and end up vomiting in the toilet.

What the hell?! This is getting stupid! The pills are suppose to make me feel better, not make me feel worse! And Stine wants me to start online schooling, but he wanted to make sure I feel better, hoping I can grin before he asked permission from the principal. I don't mind waiting until he asked, but I am tired of these damn side effects.

New sets of pills. And guess what? Oh, you know the answer. _More_ side effects. The next ones made me dizzy and faint that I had to sit down or lie on the couch in fear of passing out.

And when another Saturday came, Dr. Powell combined two different pills. This time no side effects... I slowly began to smile... But several months later, that grin was wiped off my face. I began to have more mood swings. I began snapping at people. Even at Stine and my friends.

One time, Stine invited Zach and Champ, even his girlfriend to come have Chinese food. And Champ was telling Lorraine after she asked him about how he got his name. For some reason, I began to get angry. I began to get irritated as he kept on going and going and going that I couldn't take it anymore.

I flipped my plate over so loudly that it broke from the impack, startling everyone. I faced Champ. _**"SHUT THE HELL UP AND BE QUITE!"**_ I covered my mouth, stunned at what I had just said. Anxiety came over me that I ad to run up to my room, slamming the door shut in the process.

I began having strange episodes everyday. I began to have delusions... I began to get paranoid...on _everything_. Like the time Stine had to go take Lorraine on a dinner date, and I accused him of leaving me, even when Hannah is going to be with me, with Zach with me as well, telling him what he's really doing.

"I'm just taking her out to dinner," he tried to assure me.

"No, you're not!" I snapped, acting like an aggressive teenager instead of that dull one that I was. I watch him grab the doorknob, slowly opening the door. "You're not leaving…" I seethed through my teeth. The door opened more, Stine eyeing me like a hawk on the first day that I met him. "Tell me where you're really going," I demanded.

"Hazel… I told you. I'm taking-" Stine started

_"Liar!"_ I screamed, cutting him off. I heard Hannah and Zach come into the room and I cast them evil glares. "What?" I rudely asked.

"Hazel, just calm down…" Hannah pleaded, not liking the new side of me.

"NO!" I refused, shouting at them. My head turned back to Stine and I walked over to him, only to be grabbed from behind. "Get off!" I ordered.

"Go, just go," Zach told him. "Make sure to lock the door. I'll lock the back door," he requested him. Stine quickly walked out the front door. I heard click and began to panic. I stomped on Zach's foot, forcing him to release me, running to the door, grabbing the knob. I heard Stine's new car start up, hearing him drive off the driveway. "Hazel…" Zach spoke, inching his way towards me. "It's okay..." he assured me.

"Back off!" Zach jumped back at my outburst. Guilt came over me, but I didn't apologize. Instead, I ran up to my room, slammed the door, and jumped on my bed, screaming into the pillow as I burst out sobbing.

"What's wrong with me...?" I feared. "I thought I have depression and haphephobia." I heard a knock on the door. "Ugh! What do you want!?" I cried, getting fed up.

"Are you okay?" It was Hannah.

"I'm fine..." I wish I was... "Now go away," I requested.

"Hazel, you're-"

"Go _AWAY!_" I screeched, cutting Zach off his words. I heard whispering. "What are guys saying?" I questioned them in angry tone. "Hey! You better answer me," I exclaimed in an aggressive manner, getting out of bed. I walked over to the door and kicked it. Hannah screamed from the other side. I opened it, sending them burning eyes. More likely towards Hannah.

"What's wrong with you…?" I can tell she was starting to get afraid of me. "Isn't the new medication working?" She slightly hid behind her boyfriend, tears in her eyes. "If you want, I can ask my dad to-"

"He's not releasing Slappy!" I felt my throat turn raw and I coughed.

"No, I'm not saying that, I'm just wanted to-"

_**"NO! Don't LIE TO ME!"**_ I shoved her on the floor, my aggression taking over. I gasped, realizing what I'd done. "Hannah...I'm...I'm..." I started, only the tears won and I went back into my room, going back on the bed, pulling the covers over my head. "What's wrong with me...?" I repeated the question.

The more days went by the more episodes and symptoms I've been having. I keep seeing and hearing things; voices in my head. I began to have strange behaviors like social isolation, disorganized behavior, aggression, agitation, compulsive behavior, excitability, hostility, repetitive movements, self-harm, or lack of restraint.

I began to have cognitive behavior such as thought disorder, delusion, amnesia, belief that an ordinary event has special and personal meaning, belief that thoughts aren't one's own, disorientation, memory loss, mental confusion, slowness in activity, or false belief of superiority.

Adding to those, I notice something else. The moods that I was having... anger, anxiety, apathy, feeling detached from self, general discontent, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, elevated mood, or inappropriate emotional response. Except, the only interest I have is reading...and I lost that interest... I never did any activities.

My speech is starting to change, too... and it frightened me. I'll have different speeches that will spill out of my mouth.

I'll have depression as always, next will be fear...hallucinations... feeling paranoid everyday...persecutory delusion, or religious delusion. Sometimes both of these delusions.

I also began to feel more fatigued...impaired motor coordination...and lack of emotional response.

However, I'll different symptoms than the ones I have now... which didn't make sense at all! Again, like my mood swings that I keep mentioning.

Every Saturday, when I'm talking to my doctor, she keeps telling me it's the new medication, and she didn't seem that she wants to listen to me. I keep on snapping at her and pick fights with her.

"You're the worst doctor ever!" I accused. So I asked Stine for a new doctor and he did.

I see my new doctor every Mondays and Fridays, and he gave me two new diagnoses. Want to know what it is? Here's the answer: Schizophrenia and manic depression. Manic depression is also known as bipolar disorder. Dr. Richard wasn't sure which one I had the most since the symptoms are the same on both of them. I don't blame him for that. He told Stine what to do just like my old doctor did.

And the worse part is that my disorders are so bad that my doctor wasn't so sure if medication would work. I still have a fear of being touched... But that never made me feel better...

* * *

That night, I stared at the ceiling of my room as I lied on my bed. I tried to ignore the voices in my head like my new doctor suggested. The voices buzzed in my head and I covered my ears.

"Go away..." I begged, tears brimming in the corner of my eyes. "Leave me alone…" The voices never stopped.

I began to panic again. That's it. I can't take it anymore! I got out of my bed, opening the door slowly, doing my best not to make any noise as I made my way towards the kitchen.

Digging through the silverware draw, I pulled something out that I need. Then, very quietly, I snuck back into my room, closing the door softly.

I hope that Stine and Hannah are heavy sleepers... I thought, pulling the sleeves up of my pajamas, revealing my arms...

After I was done, I rolled my sleeves back down, putting the object in the draw that was next to me. My arms felt sore... which didn't help at all...

Why did I do that? Why...?

Laying in bed, I tried to sleep, but sleep wouldn't come and I stayed up all night, listening to the voices...

The next morning, I didn't come downstairs for breakfast. I stayed in my room, crying. I wanted to die... that's what I want to do...

Making sure that no one is watching, I took the item out of the draw, sat down on my bed, then...

The small knife that I was holding was smacked out of my hand all of a sudden. Slowly, I looked up and saw Hannah. She gasped when she saw the scars on both of my arms.

"...Hazel...?" Her lips trembled.

"No. Don't tell your dad," I begged, but she was already running out of the room, calling for her father. I then heard heavy footsteps coming upstairs and enter my room. Looks like I was in big trouble...

"Hazel..." Stine's voice floated into the bedroom. At first I was afraid to look at him, but I force myself to do so. "Are you...trying to do what Hannah informed me?" he asked. He didn't yell, but I can tell by his tone that he wasn't happy.

"...yes..." I nodded.

"Let's go."

"Huh? Where?"

"To your doctor, Hazel. I need to tell him what Hannah told me."

I crossed my arms. "Why?" I retorted. "So he can call me crazy?"

"Hazel, I don't want to fight with you," he warned.

"Who's says that we are fighting?" I snipped, giving him a sassy attitude.

"Hazel!" He raised his voice. "Stop talking like that towards me," he exclaimed.

"Fine," I surrendered. I got up from my bed and me and Stine got in the new car that he got last week.

Once we got there, Stine told Dr. Richard what Hannah told him. My doctor looked at me seriously.

"You were trying to kill yourself?" he questioned me with furrowed brows.

"No," I quickly answered, then hung my head, defeated. "Yes," I admitted. "What? Are you going to make me stay at some hospital where people have suicidal thoughts?" I asked him, hoping that's not the case.

He looked at Stine. "Should she go there?" he asked.

"Well, I don't want to see her like this anymore…" Stine told him. "So yeah."

"Hold on," I intervened. "Where am I going?" I looked at Dr. Richard. "Really," I insisted. "Tell me where I'll be going."

He answered with two words that sent chills down my cut up arms.

"Mental Hospital."

And that's when the new start began.


	17. Chapter 17: A Long Drive

**Note: Hey, ya'll! For those who read the last chapter, which I believe you did, is that the reason I gave the main character got two diagnoses (She was diagnosed with clinical depression) is because bipolar and schizophrenia have similar symptoms and I can't separate the two, even when I looked it up on Google. So...I gave her two since they sound the same to me.**

**Disclaimer: I feel like this chapter is going to be boring. And I hope it won't.**

**Remember: When you see the words Status Complete is in the summary/description, that'll let you readers know that the story is finished so you people can review it by the time it is done.**

**Also, I'm thinking about doing a fanfic based on Goosebumps The Game that's on my 3DS, which will be more harder to do a rewrite of, and I'm going to use a new character for that fanfic, before Hazel came around. I did write hints in this story. If you hadn't spot them, read the Horrorland chapters again. And I'll put more hints later in the story.**

**Plus, I'll do more short/side stories as well that'll rely on **_**Goosebumps**_**. Keep an eye out for those, too. And keep on enjoying my fanfic!**

* * *

**Chapter 17: A Long Drive**

* * *

"What?" I gave Dr. Richard a disbelief look. "A Mental Hospital?" I then gave him a paranoid look. "Are you…" I looked down at the floor with my eyes before sending staggering eyes right back at him. "Are you saying that I am _CRAZY!_?" I fumed, not liking the idea at all. "All I did was cut myself," I told him. "I don't need to go to a hospital that has insane people, alright?"

"People there are not crazy..." Dr. Richard tried to tell me, but I scoffed, turning away and crossed my arms like a stubborn child. "And I believe it'll help with your illnesses, too. Maybe they have strong enough medications for you." I looked back at him, the disbelief look not leaving my face. "I'm not saying that they _do _have it," he informed me. He smiled. "Besides, you'll end meeting people such as your age with the same problem that you have." He winked his eye. "Maybe a relationship will help."

"Please, no boy _ever _wanted to date me," I rebuked. "None of the boys back in kindergarten never liked me." I looked at Stine. "And I'm not going to Mental Hospital," I refused through gritted teeth.

"It's for your own good, Hazel," Stine said sternly. "I don't want to see you like this anymore. However, I don't think it's _that _bad," he added.

I just replied back with an eye roll and breathed out of my nose, calming myself down a little. "Okay..." I sighed, agreeing with both of them. "I'll go," I said defeated. "Do I need to bring anything? And how long will I be there?" I asked my therapist.

"It depends on your health issue," he returned his answer. "Some people get better faster while others are slow," he explained to me.

"So I just have to wait and see?" I questioned loudly, my mood switching back to anger. "Great, just great. I'm going to be in that hospital for the rest of my life!" I cried out. I got up from my seat. "I'll be in the car." With that, I stormed out of the room, heading to the car.

Once I got to the car, I got in and slammed the door shut. I wanted to cry, except I couldn't. I was too fed up to start crying now.

A Mental Hospital? _Seriously?! _Why can't I be normal for once? Oh wait, I can't. Because my life is going down the drain, that's why! I'll never feel better, at all. And if they do have a strong enough medication for me, I'll highly doubt it'll work, just like the last medications I took.

Also, what did my therapist mean by 'it depends on my health issue'? Will I be in that hospital for...like...forever. And I doubt that I'll meet people my age with the same problem that I have. Not even in a relationship! I mean, what boy would like me? "You're pathetic," I told myself in a shameful voice. My anger switched to guilt to depression, and any mood swing that swung by on me. Ugh! I'm tired of being this way, and I hate it!

Just as I was about to cry, Stine came into the car. "I have to take you there right away," he told me as we drove back to his house. "I'll help you pack up and after I drop you off at the place you need to be, I'll inform everyone else. Okay?" He waited for an answer, so I just nodded. "Are you crying...?" he wondered slowly.

"No, I'm not!" But a tear escaped out of my eye. "I'm not crying," I cracked. "You know, I believe I'm going to be in that 'mental hospital' for the rest of my life," I grumbled, sliding on my seat. "And I doubt having strong medication would work nor will I find people my age with the problem that I have." I stared out the window, rolling it down to get some fresh air since it's starting to get a little stuffy in the car. "And you're keeping your promise about me doing online schooling?" I remembered. "Since I'm too traumatized to go to real school." I looked back at him, waiting for his answer.

Stine stopped at a red light and answered. "It depends what my boss says," he responded, tapping his finger on the wheel. "If he says no and that you have to do real school, I'll ask him to put you in classes that Hannah, Zach, and Champ are in. And if you do real school, you might make some new friends, just like you did with Taylor," he grinned.

"Likewise," I rolled my eyes.

Stine sighed. "Too bad the last medications stopped working. All of us were happy when we saw you smile..." he told me sadly.

"I know..." I murmured. "And tell everyone that I'm sorry I snapped," I requested. "Especially Hannah."

"I will," Stine promised, driving again once the red light turned green. "And Hannah knows that you didn't mean to shove her onto the floor and yell at her."

I leaned my head on the seat, not looking at him. "I wish it never happened..." Another tear slipped out of my eye. Stine reached into the compartment and handed me a tissue, but I shook my head and declined, not taking it. He set it between us just in case I need it.

On the way back to the house, my mind replayed that dream I had again. I know I recognized that older boy, who looks like in his early twenties.. His appearance... I know that I'd seen it before... and I still remember asking him who he was, only for him to ignore them and asked _me _questions.

Who was he? I feel like that dream that I had wasn't...a dream. It felt too real to be a dream. Inside my head, I gasped. What if it comes back again? I asked inside my mind. If it does...will it be the same like the last one? Those questions swam around in my head while I tried to come up with my own answers.

While I did that, half of my mind thought about that devil doll. What if Stine has this stupid idea to free Slappy out of the new manuscript? Nah, he wouldn't do that. Slappy's evil, really evil. More evil than the other monsters he'd released, getting them to destroy Madison. But... I have to make sure.

"Stine? You're still not letting that demon doll, are you?" I saw the look on his face. "Well?" I continued to question him. "Are you?"

"I don't know..." he returned in a shallow voice.

"What do you mean that you don't know?" My eyes narrowed. "What? You're going to free him?" I contorted, giving him an attitude, my mood switching like a light bulb on the ceiling. "If you do, I'll be _very _upset," I warned.

"Okay...I'll not release him. But what if I just want to apologize to him?"

I snorted. "That dummy _doesn't need _an apology after what he had done to me." I slumped in my seat even lower. "Besides, why did you create him anyway?" I asked, wanting to know.

Stine let out a heavy breath. "I was lonely... Things were doing great. When I first wrote him, he kept me company and just like the rest of the monsters, he kept me safe from those bullies that torture me everyday. But...one day...he did something… horrible..." He paused, afraid to continue.

"Go on." I motioned my hand for him to keep going, but he shook his head.

"I don't really feel like it..." I looked away from the window, my eyes widening when I saw tears from him, surprising me. He noticed and quickly dried them away. "Anyway, let's get your stuff packed up so I can drop you off at the hospital," he switched, changing the subject.

"Okay..." I agreed. "Since you don't want to tell me _why _you locked him up in the first manuscript, why does he call you 'papa'?" I continued asking.

"...I'm not sure..." he answered in all honesty. "I guess it's because I created him," he believed, thinking about it. "But did you know that in the _Night Of The Living Dummy _Slappy was barely in the book?" he said.

I nodded. "Yeah... I remembered reading it when I was like...ten. And that's when I was living on my own until now. Why did he came out of the book instead of that other dummy who is basically the main protagonist?"

"I wish I knew. I believe I only trapped Slappy back in his book since he came out of it and didn't notice his brother in that mall back in Chicago until he came over to my house."

"He had a brother?" I was shocked at this. "I didn't know that. I wish I knew. What was his name?"

He clicked his tongue before he answered. "Wally Wood," he mentioned solemnly, making a right turn. "However, he's locked up in a different book because he wanted his younger brother to die because of how much he hated him because he was written in a totally different book," he explained. "Remember, Slappy came out from the _Night Of The Living Dummy _manuscript while his older brother was released from _different_\- Oh, forget it. I don't think you'll understand," he gave up explaining.

"It's fine. I know what you are telling me," I assured him. "Sounds like Wally is much more evil than Slappy from my guess." I then gave Stine a serious look. "And that doesn't mean you're releasing Slappy from the new one," I added, pointing my finger at him. "Even if you ask permission from me, I'm still gonna say no," I confirmed. I noticed he wasn't paying attention to me. "Hello? Did you hear what I said?"

"Hm?" He snapped out of his thoughts and turned to and back at the road. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm listening. Don't let Slappy out of the new manuscript," he stated. He sighed again. "I still want to apologize to him... for locking him up in a book for all those years before putting him in the new one that I written." He tilted his head to the side a little. "What is he doing in that new manuscript anyway?" he wondered, mainly to himself.

"Probably wanting to get revenge on you or something," I answered his question for him.

"Maybe..." he shrugged. "Or maybe I can just talk to him about his behavior..."

"No, you're not," I snapped. "Anyway, why are we talking about that evil ventriloquist dummy that has a serious Napoleonic complex?"

"You brought him up," he argued.

I looked at the car floor with my eyes. "...oh," I realized, knowing what he meant. So I changed the subject. "How long will I be at this 'hospital'?" I asked.

"Well just like your therapist said, it depends how long you'll get better. Some people get better faster than others," he repeated Dr. Richard's words.

I glared at him. "So you're saying I have to be there for the rest _of my LIFE!?_" The paranoid feeling returned to me. "Why can't you give me real answers?!" I yelled.

"That _is _the real answer, Hazel," he said, trying not to make sure his face doesn't turn an angry red. "It depends on how long you'll be there," he explained.

I rolled my eyes and didn't reply back, staring back out the window as my hair fluttered in the wind as I stared at the blue sky. But the paranoid feeling never left me. And I guess he's right… I do need to get better. I want to try and smile again... Except, I still don't think strong medication would work even if they have any. I believe I'm crazy in the head. I don't believe people have the same problems than I do.

By the time we got back to the house, Stine instructed me to stay in the car. That made me angry that I punched his seat by the time he got out of the car to pack up. He didn't tell me that _he's _going to do it for me!

I continued to punch his seat until all my anger lifted off of me. The next thing I knew, I started tearing up, but wasn't full on crying.

Looking around a bit, I found the lever to lean the front seat back, which I did. After, I took off my seatbelt, facing away from the driver's side of the car. My face began to get wet as more water ran down out of my eyes uncontrollably.

I began hating myself on the way I was acting. Back when I was little, Jeff would tell me to shut up and deal with the pain that I'll get everyday. Only.. I'm not getting beaten anymore, so...why are tears running out of my eyes?

Oh, now I know why. It's because I'll be in a special hospital, I answered my own question. With a sad and soft sigh, I shut my eyes, feeling tired.

I heard the driver's side open up and I opened my eyes, but didn't bother to turn around as I heard Stine set something in the back seat before closing the door and started driving. I bet he thought I was asleep from the fit I had. He didn't blame me, at least.

Another teardrop left my eye and I shut my eyes, resting them, waiting until we get to this 'hospital' I have been forced to go to, wondering how long I'll be there, when another question came into my head.

Is there not too bad just like Stine told me?

I just have to wait and see.

* * *

_I found myself looking up at a sold house that someone had bought, standing in front of it. I know I'm dreaming, but I can't get out of it as my feet forced me towards the door. I had no choice but to knock on it._

_After I did, the door opened slowly, and I gasped when I saw the familiar person standing in front of me, the sudden chills going down my body as I stared at him as he smirked at me. That smirk that I remembered back in my childhood. That same smirk he always given me..._

_I backed away from him, only for him to step forward out of the door, eyeing intently at me. I wanted to speak, but my mouth couldn't form words. I wanted to run, but my legs felt like rubber bands._

_I began sweating, trembling all over, the fear getting the better of me. I know this person... except the name wouldn't slip out, getting stuck inside of me. However, I had to make sure...in case I'm wrong._

"_Who are you?!" I forced out the question. "Tell me your name!" I demanded, getting a bit bolder. "Who are you?!" I continued to cry out._

_The smirk grew on his face and he spoke. "Why did you do it?" Just like in the dream the other night, he ignored my questions. "Why did you run away like that?" My back hit the fence and he stopped in front of me. "How come you ran away from home...? Why...?"_

"_Please...just tell me who you are," I begged, feeling the tears leaking out of my eyes._

"_Don't you recognize me?" he ignored my plea. He put his hands on my shoulders and flinched at the feeling of being touched, making him chuckle in amusement, keeping me in place so I wouldn't go anywhere. "You're so stupid, Hazel," he snickered._

"_How...?" I swallowed. "How do you know my name...?" I whispered._

"_Don't you recognize me?" he repeated, not answering me._

"_Yes, I do." I was getting freaked out by this point. "Just tell me your name!" I commanded in a tiny voice._

"_You're so dumb and stupid, Hazel," he spoke in a chilling tone. "But I will give you a hint..."_

_But before he can even do that, I felt someone shaking me and a different voice talking._

"_Hazel... Hazel..."_

* * *

I woke up, sitting up way too fast that I ended up hitting my head on the car roof. I put my hands on the spot where I bumped it. "Ohh!" I groaned, rubbing it. "What?" I turn to see a worry Stine looking at me. "Why are you staring at me like that...?" I asked.

"Sweetheart..." he started. "You were mumbling and crying in your sleep," he reported with concern. My eyes widen when he said that. "Does that happen often?" he asked me.

I laid down on the seat. "I do _cry _in my sleep," I admitted. "I never _mumbled _in my sleep..." My face turned red with bashfulness. "What did I say...?"

"Nothing too important," he informed me. "You just mumbled 'who are you' and other things that I can't make out." He saw my expression on my face. "It's nothing to be shameful about," he assured me. "A lot of people talk in their sleep. However..." He handed me a tissue and I took it to dry my eyes. "...I never heard of people _crying _in their sleep before." He watched me once my tears are gone and asked me something. "Was it the same dream?"

"Yes, and it was a bit different, too," I answered, throwing the tissue in a small trash bag that was near me. "It was that same person that I know. I asked him who he was because how familiar he looked from that smirk of his. He was about to give me a hint until _you _woke me up." I sighed. "Although... I do know who he is..." I said softly.

"Oh? Then tell me," he requested.

I didn't answer right away for a long while. "...I think it was my god brother... Except, I'm not _entirely _sure."

"You mean Travis? Hannah told me about him," Stine informed me. "The way she talked to me about him is that... he sounds like a complete jerk. Just like your god parents."

"He is..." I muttered, then saw a Mcdonald's bag right next to me, not taking it.

"That's yours," Stine said, as if he was reading my thoughts. "I decided to get you something to eat since it's gonna be another hour or two until we get to that place," he told me.

"What do you mean another hour or two?" I took out a box of French fries. They're a little cold but I didn't care as I put one my mouth and chewed while Stine answered my question.

"The place that I'm taking you is not near Madison..." I almost choked on my fry, spitting it out, having it land on my lap. "...but it _is _in Delaware," he continued to answer as I threw my spit up fry in the trash and took out a new one, placing it in my mouth. "So I've been driving for a few hours."

"Few? How many is a few?" I questioned, swallowing.

"Well..." He began to think of another answer. "Since I was driving while you were asleep, we've been on the road I say about… ten hours."

"What?!" I almost dropped the box of French fries, only spilling few of them onto the car floor. "_Ten hours?" _I exclaimed in reaction. "What time did we leave the house? Not counting the therapy building," I pointed out.

"We left the house at seven-thirty. It's now four-thirty in the morning," he responded to my reaction.

"Does Hannah know?" I replied in shock.

He nodded. "She knows. I already told her that she doesn't have to worry if I don't get home on the same day, which was Monday. It's now Tuesday. So we might not get there until six or seven o'clock."

I stared at my fries, putting them back in the bag and laid down again, still in shock that we've been on the road for that many hours. I can't believe what I was informed by this news.

Well... at least it's still in Delaware... "So...I've been asleep for ten hours?" I said.

"Looks like it," he nodded his head. "You can go back to sleep if you want to," he allowed. "Just try not mumble again while you sleep as well," he joked. I didn't laugh, thinking it wasn't as funny as I heard him chuckle. He then stopped when I gave him bored eyes. "Oh, well, we better get going then." He started the car and drove out of the parking lot. I guess he wanted to catch some sleep, too, so he doesn't risk us having a car accident. Which is a good idea in his defense.

While we drove, I tried going back to sleep, but it won't come to me. Probably because Stine woke me up with worry since I was crying and mumbling in my sleep. I know I do cry in my sleep because every morning I'll feel wetness on my face, but I never mumbled in my sleep before. Man... that was so embarrassing. Stine said it's nothing to worry about since some people talk in their sleep.

After a few tries to go back to sleep, I gave up and put the seat upright again. "I can't fall asleep," I announced, feeling frustrated about it.

"Don't worry about it," he returned, patting my shoulder and I flinched. "Sorry," he apologized. I merely shrugged my shoulders. "You're still mad at me, are you?"

"No, I'm not," I snarked back sarcastically. "Of course I'm still mad for being taken into an insane asylum!" I changed the tone of my voice and yelled.

"Mental Hospital," he corrected.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes and let out a scoff. "Plus, I'm still wondering how long I'll be there."

Stine shrugged, wondering the same thing. "I'm not so sure, either, Hazel. I wish I knew." It was then quiet for a few seconds, until he spoke again. "You know... when me and the boys were searching for you and Hannah at Horrorland, for some reason I keep thinking you as my other daughter, and I don't know why, though."

"I believe it's because you worry about me all the time," I theorized. "You kept me safe from that devil dummy. Even though you did that after I got slightly kidnapped by Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage in order to bring me to that...dummy..." I shivered. "And I can't believe he hates being called that word, too."

"Yeah, I know what you're talking about." Stine shrugged his shoulders. "I still feel bad for locking him up in his manuscript... and in the new one." He looked at me for a quick second before looking back at the road. "I know you don't like the idea of me having that feeling...but you have to understand, me and him used to get along before I had Hannah around. I'm like a father to him...well, he does call me papa. I just wish I can talk to him and get him to understand why I did that to him." He stopped the car, letting other car go by him before he continued driving. "To me...it wasn't right for me to do that to him. Before I rewrote my daughter back into existence, I tried doing the same with him. Only with no success because different dummies will come out of their books like Rocky and Dennis. And when I think about it, they never did a good job of scaring my bullies away because they were...too nice to them so I had to lock them up so nothing happens to them. And there was Wally. Although...instead of scaring those bullies away...he tries to kill them. Another reason why he had to be lock up in his manuscript along with hating his younger brother. Plus there were other dolls and puppets and another ventriloquist dummy that I don't feel like mentioning."

"Mm." I nodded. "Wait..." I looked at Stine with a raised brow. "Rocky and Dennis? What to you mean they were 'too nice to your bullies'?"

"It's the way I wrote them," he explained shortly. "Like I said, they never did a good job of defending me," he sighed with disappointment, tapping the wheel. "Not even the other dolls and the puppets nor that other dummy would keep me safe. One doll keeps calling me Robbie which I hate. And if I do say her name, it gives me...well... goosebumps," he punned.

I looked at Stine, noticing a worried look. "What?"

"Huh?" Stine turned his head towards me then back on the road again.

"You look concerned..." I noted his odd behavior.

"Oh...um... I'm just concerned about you, that's all." I can tell that you are lying, Stine... I know you're worried about something else other than me... "So...yeah, that's all I'm worried about," he confirmed.

"Uh huh," I simply replied. "Although..." I brought up. "You are worried about something else..."

"I'm not worried about anything else, Hazel," he stated, trying to hide the look on his face. The look of concern. "You should try to go back to sleep," he suggested me.

"Can't," I answered, looking out the window. "When someone wakes me up, it's hard for me to fall back asleep," I told him.

"...I see." He nodded his head.

"Yep." Then after a bit of silence, I spoke again. "Tell me about how you brought Hannah back," I said, bringing up the subject. "How did you rewrote her into existence?" I asked.

"Well..." Stine gripped the wheel. "After we defeated the monsters, I took a school job as an English teacher, and Zach is one of my students." He chuckled. "It's pretty strange, too, since I'm his neighbor..." I raised a brow, finding no humor about it at all. "Anyway..." he continued. "When I see Zach everyday at school, he would not smile...he would have this frown planted on his face every time I saw him. I know he missed Hannah, and that's when I had the idea of rewriting her back into existence." He then paused and kept talking. "To be honest... I wasn't sure if it'll work...just like how I try to rewrite Slappy...thinking it'll be a different ghost...or one of the monsters other than my daughter. So after a few weeks of writing one more book..."

"She came back?" I finished. He smiled and nodded. "Wow," I breathed out. "That's...amazing. And I really mean it, even if I'm not smiling," I insisted, shifting in my seat. "Plus, I wish I knew how long I'll be in that place because saying that it depends doesn't answer my question at all."

"You just have to wait and see…" was all Stine can say back, along with a sigh.

"I hate when you say that, too!" I spat out angrily, again my mood turning around at an instant. "I hate it when people don't give me a real answer!" I glared at him. "What? Do I have to figure it out on my own?" I yelled, raising my voice.

"Hazel..."

"Why can't you give me real answers, huh?! I know, how about you _don't_ take me there to that 'mental hospital' that's for crazy people and just turn around and bring me home," I stated. "Because I don't think they're gonna be any people my age with-"

_**"Hazel!" **_I flinched when he raised his voice. "You have to understand," he reasoned with me, lowering his voice. "You. Need. Help."

I wanted to argue, but I knew that arguing with him won't help. "You're right..."

"I'm not taking no for an answer- what?" he replied. "Did you just say 'I'm right'?" he questioned, thinking that he was hearing things.

"Yes," I repeated, "you're right. I do need help. I don't want to feel this way anymore." I buried my face into my hands, hiding the tears that are trying to escape my eyes. "The only problem is...what if it never helps, Stine? I mean, if they have strong medication. What if they don't work? What if being in that crazy hospital never works?" I already feel my anger going to anxiety mode. "And another thing… I don't want to end up killing myself," I whispered, more likely mouthing the words. "And I know I wanted you to give me real answers...like...twice...just...just forget about it, okay? Just- hic -forget about it," I hiccuped a sob. I can feel Stine looking at me and I know he wanted to say something, but I continued to speak. "To me...I'm a horrible person...and I know that I shouldn't think of myself that way..." I would keep on going if the tears hadn't won that I just gave up, got the seat to lean all the way back, and layed on my side, hiding my watering eyes, waiting until we get to that one building that I have to go, still wondering how long I'll be there.


	18. Chapter 18: Mental Hospital Arrival

**Chapter 18: Mental Hospital Arrival**

* * *

Stine pulled over at a building after another hour was up, getting out of the car. I took my seatbelt off, opened the door and stared at the building. Does seeing that place made me feel any better? That will be a no. A big no. Even seeing that sign that reads _**Mental Hospital**_ makes me feel even worse.

Hey...maybe it won't be so bad. Just like Stine mentioned, I assured myself, getting out of the car, my eyes all wet from crying that I quickly dried them with my shirt. And once I did that, Stine handed me my duffle bag. I took it so I won't look like a stupid person...or in any other case...a crazy person.

"There's something in there for you that I hope it'll make you feel better," he told me after I took it, putting the strap on my right shoulder. "It's actually from Hannah," he informed me. "It's something that makes her feel better when she sad about something. Even when she has one of her bad days... so we both hope it helps."

"What is it?" I wanted to ask, but I decided to wait and see for myself. Possibly so I won't spoil what Hannah gave me. Instead I ask, "What else did you pack for me?"

"Just your clothes and books," Stine answered as we walked to the building. "I didn't pack anything so you won't...you know...hurt yourself with, because they take those things away. In fact, they go through _everybody's _stuff to see if they pack anything that is 'harmful'. Luckily, I put things that are _not _harmful objects. I didn't even pack up your scarf."

"Why?" He turned to me with an arched brow. "Oh... Now I know why," I understood, catching his look that looks like a hawk waiting for its prey. "Also, you don't have to give me those stern looks, Stine," I mentioned. "They...creep me out because Jeff does that to me before and after he...beats me."

"I didn't know that my stern looks freak you out. But tell me, how many times does Jeff hurt you?" he questioned.

"...Everyday. He'll hit me and leave my room without any words. There was this one time when I came home from school after the bus driver dropped me off, Travis stopped me from going into my room. I actually forgot that he comes home before me since he's a middle schooler and all that. He asked me where I was going, which is again, my bedroom. He then ask me if I want anything to eat since Jeff and Kelly won't be home until later. All I did was declined and went to my room _after _he purposely tripped me." I took a deep breath, not wanting to start sobbing. "So... I went to my room to just sleep and this is before I had trouble sleeping, and the next thing I knew, I got dragged out of bed and felt pain all around me. To me it felt like forever and once the stinging slaps are done, I saw Jeff...glaring at me through his framed glasses and his leather strap clenched in his right hand. And he did it a second round before leaving my room." I looked at the ground, watching my feet take steps closer to the building, my hair falling in front of me even if it stops at my shoulders. "While I just stayed on the floor, my dreaded god brother came to my bedroom door and just smirked at me, announcing me that getting that 'punishment' will teach me a lesson of 'breaking his window'."

"Wait a second," Stine interrupted, raising his hand for me to stop. "Are you telling me that he _lied _to his father about you breaking his window? And you're god dad believed him!?" I can tell that he was now in flames. "Did you _try _confronting him?"

I looked back at him with a sad look. "I did once..." I admitted. "Only he said that 'he doesn't need proof'," I quoted, recalling his words. I let out an exasperated sigh. "Travis is such an ass!" I cried. "Telling lies to both Kelly and Jeff. Mainly at Jeff, making sure my life is terrible as possible... and it worked!" I threw my duffle bag on the ground, kicking it aggressively, and began talking gibberish, my words not making any sense, even for me.

"Are you done?" Stine asked after my fit was finished.

I picked up my duffle bag, placing the strap back on my right shoulder. "Yes, I believe so." I took a deep breath and let it out. "I just don't understand why my god family hates me. I never did anything to them other than join the family..." The anger got mix with other emotions that I can barely talk right now anymore. "I...I just...wish...that this would never happen to me. It's my god family's fault and the kids at school...it's their own fault, too," I stuttered, my voice breaking the words. I looked over at Stine, seeing that he was looking at the ground, too. "Stine?"

"Yes?" he responded.

I saw moisture in his eyes. "You're crying," I pointed out, not shocked by this time.

"No, I'm not," he quickly denied. I narrowed my eyes at him in order to tell me the truth because one tear leaked out of his left eye. "Okay," he sighed with defeat. "You got me. I'm just upset _and _angry at what happened to you. You shouldn't feel this way... at all. What those people did to you wasn't right," he stated in a confirmed tone. "Travis shouldn't tell lies to his parents in order to get you..." He hesitated. "...hurt," he managed to say.

"Just like you didn't tell Hannah that she was a ghost," I suddenly brought up. "Oh...nevermind, she told me that she knew she was a ghost all along before you wrote her back to where she can now age," I then recalled back when I saw her glowing blue at the school, so that led me to a question. "Did Zach know that she was a ghost before she came back into existence?"

"Actually yes, but he thought that _she _didn't know. While you, Champ, and Hannah were looking for the typewriter, Zach confronted me, telling me that she doesn't know that she is not real, thinking that I lied to her. I never lied to her... I was trying to protect her. I didn't want anybody to know what she really is. That's the reason I don't let her outside. Even during the night time hours. That is, until she confessed to me at the store on what she does everynight after I go to bed." He paused for a second. "I told Zach that I felt lonely and after I created her...I felt a connection with her...and adopted her as my own daughter. I kept her out of her manuscript and never put her back in... Except, when I was out of control that one night during our argument..." He then ran his fingers through his hair as we stepped into the building, noticing a line of patients. "Let's wait until the line dies down," he advised towards me. He took me over to a black, leather couch that matched the color of his clothes. "I...actually still remember creating her with my typewriter..." he recalled. I looked at him, opening up my ears to listen. "It all happen back after I locked Slappy back in his manuscript after he went too far with his things... I wanted to create something that isn't a monster...or a villain...or an evil doll or dummy...not even evil ghosts...but a ghost that is very...friendly... It all started back in Columbus, Ohio. I was in my bed, feeling sorry and angry at myself

'Why?' I questioned out loud in my old room in my first house. 'Why do I make such _horrible _monsters, even Slappy, and lock them up in their manuscripts? I'm happy that they jump off the page, but too scared to let them free for a long time. I know I let Slappy stay out of his book until I had to put him back in after what he did to those bullies, going way too far of protecting me, even the pranks that are horrible to where they're aren't funny anymore. I need to create something that isn't a dangerous monster or villain. I could create another ghost...' I shook my head, thinking that my new idea won't work. 'No...no. I'll just end up making _another evil ghost_,' I empathize greatly.

That's when a light bulb spark up and I sat up quickly, the idea growing. 'Buuut~' I stretched out. 'What if this ghost isn't evil? What if this ghost was _friendly _and _sweet_? Someone who can stay out of his or her book forever.' I shook my head up and down, grabbing my notebook that I use to take notes when I come up with another story, picturing what my new creation would look like.

Looking at my notes, a grin formed on my face. 'Perfect.' I got up off my bed and went to my office where I write my books, seeing my typewriter on the middle of my desk. I sat down in my chair, placing my notebook to the side. 'Yes...' I chuckled, cracking my knuckles. 'Reader beware...' The smile grew wider. '...you're in for a _scare. _Hahaha!' I laughed and then I began to create my newest creation, knowing this one will be better than the last one I did.

I typed and I typed, not stopping whatsoever. I kept on going. I didn't stop. I won't ever stop until this story is just..._right_. Right for me, at least. I won't have to be alone anymore...I won't have to put my creation back in the new manuscript that I'm now writing...knowing that I won't feel angry and sorry for myself anymore.

Hours ticked by and before I knew it, I finished my latest book. Taking the last page off the typewriter, I placed it in the back with the other ones. I then tucked the pages in the empty manuscript, binding them together.

After minutes of checking for no crease marks or anything, the book passed its test. '_The Ghost Next Door_,' I wrote, scrawling the words on the front cover and on the side with a black pen. I set the pen back on my desk, closing the book, and locked the manuscript shut, keeping the key in place. I hope this works... 'Let's see how you turn out..._Hannah_,' I whispered even though I'm the only one in the room. I looked over at my bookcase full of my _Goosebumps _manuscript that I written over the years. 'You'll be much better than those..._creeps_,' I spoke to the book, wondering if my creation is listening. Then, with a quick motion, I unlocked the book, having it fly out of my hands, landing on the floor. The book opened, the pages turning, and wind and lightning came, the ink forming a tornado along with a glowing blue color as it formed into the creation that I wrote.

When the wind and lightning died down, my jaw dropped open when I saw..._her_. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. But no, she stood right in front of me. The long dark hair...the blue eyes...and the clothes that I pictured her wearing.

She stared back at me, not blinking. Is she afraid? Does she know who I am? I have to find out. I took a step forward and spoke. 'Hey there.' She didn't say anything back, so I decided to continue, walking towards her in a cautious manner. 'You know that you're Hannah... right?' Silence came between us. I came closer and she took a step back from me. No big surprise there since _some_ of my creations will feel a bit...anxious around me the first time around. 'Hannah?' I talked softly. 'Hello,' I greeted. 'Do you know who I am?' She didn't answer...just...staring at me, standing there in the room, the book laying on the floor right in front of her. Then she spoke, breaking the eerie silence.

'...Dad?' Right after she said that, I smiled. I then bent down, ready to grab her manuscript when she snached it away from me. _**'No!' **_I almost jumped back when she shouted at me. 'You're not putting me back in! Not with the Shadow Figure,' she claimed.

'Shadow Figure?' At first I didn't know what she was talking about. 'Ohh. The Shadow Figure.' Now I know what she is talking about. Why did I forget that guy already? I guess it's because the Shadow Figure wasn't mention much in the new book that I had just finished writing. 'I won't put you back in, sweetheart,' I assured her.

'Promise?' she replied uneasily, gripping her book in her hands.

'Yes,' I promised. 'Give me the manuscript.' I held out my hand and gave it to me her book. 'So...' I went over to the bookcase, placing her book between _Night Of The Living Dummy _and _My Best Friend Is Invisible_. '...what do you want to do first?' I asked, not asking if she can scare my bullies since she's _much _different than the other monsters I previously made.

'Explore the house?' she answered, sounding like a question. 'And maybe...go outside and meet some new friends...?' She grinned a sheepish smile.

'Sorry, Hannah, you may _not _go outside...' The hope vanished off her face, turning into a frown. 'But-' I continued. '-you can explore the house. You can even tell me which room that you want to be your new bedroom.'

Hannah thought about my offer and I can tell she was disappointed that she isn't aloud outdoors. 'Fine... I'll stay indoors. Even though I know what I am...' she said, then saw the bookcase and went over to it. 'What are these? Books?' She pulled one out off the shelf. '_A Night In Terror Tower_,' she read. She looked at me. 'Why is this book locked, dad?' She looked around before I could answer her, and she grabbed the key off the desk.

'No!' In a quick reaction, I snached both the key and the book out of her hands, preventing her from unlocking the book. 'All these manuscripts must be kept locked. If you unlock them...the monsters would leap off the page and wreak havoc,' I spoke in uneasy tone. I put the book back and set the key on the desk. 'Now go on and explore the house.' I practically had to shoo her out the study room. She still had that shocked look on her face when I took the items away from her, but shrugged and went on exploring the house.

Walking out the study room, I walked down the hallway to see Hannah in an empty room, going over to the window, the moonlight making her skin glow blue. Luckily, all my neighbors, including those bullies, are asleep at this hour, so no one knows that she's..._a ghost_. Actually, no one knows that I have a daughter now...even if she's just a creation.

'Do you want this room to be your bedroom?' I cut off the silence. She turned to me and smiled.

'Sure. And tomorrow can I start school?' she replied with a hopeful grin, the moon still making her glow that color blue, causing her voice to sound..._ghostly_. Not in a frightening way like most of my ghost creations would sound like when they talk. 'Can I, dad? I can meet-'

'No, Hannah,' I forbid her. 'You may _not _go to school.'

'Dad, it'll be daylight so no will know that I'm...' She trailed her voice off when I gave her a strictly raise brows. 'Fine...' She hung her head. She walked out of the room, stepping out of the moonlight, her skin going back to that normal color. 'I'm going to grab something to eat,' Hannah told me, her voice going back to normal.

'Do you want me to make you dinner?' I offered.

She thought about it. 'Sure,' she answered. 'How about spaghetti?' she requested.

'Alright,' I smiled. I watched her leave the room, hearing her go down the stairs to the kitchen. I checked the room, seeing how perfect it is to be her new bedroom. 'I just need to buy her a bed and everything else that she needs. Including clothes.' My smile grew wider at the idea, and I then descended down the stairs to the kitchen to see my _daughter _that I took her in seconds ago after releasing her out of her manuscript, taking out uncooked spaghetti noodles out the cabinet that is in a box that hasn't been opened yet. Then she looked to see me standing there.

'Just getting the stuff ready,' she explained before I can even ask. She set the box of spaghetti on the counter and went over to the fridge, opening it. She then sighed. 'There's no tomato sauce,' she announced. 'Oh well,' she shrugged off.

'I know how to make sauce,' I spoke.

'Great, and I'll cut up the tomatoes.' She took out some tomatoes out of the fridge, setting them on the counter. She then got the cutting board out from a different cabinet. After, she took out one of the knives from the silverware draw.

Just as she was about to start slicing the first tomato, I took the sharp silverware out of her hand. 'I'll do that as well, you go on ahead and keep looking around inside the house,' I offered.

'Dad, I know how to cut up food. You don't have to worry.' She went to take the knife out of my hand, but I pulled it out of her reach. 'Come on, dad,' Hannah insisted. 'I'm sixteen years old and you are already treating me like a child.'

'You _are _child,' I said, placing the sharp object on the counter, placing my hand on it.

'A sixteen year old is a _teenager_,' she corrected.

'To me you're a child,' I grinned, keeping my hand on the object. 'Go on,' I shooed, waving my free hand. 'Go explore your new home,' I encouraged. 'I'll let you know when dinner is ready.'

'Okay.' Hannah walked out of the kitchen, then stopped to look at me. 'Dad, can I _please _go to school?' she begged. 'In the book I was in, I didn't go to school, so maybe-'

'Hannah, I said no,' I redeemed, pausing what I was doing. 'I will not allow you to go to school.'

'Why not?' she questioned, getting a bit angry.

I looked down, the memories of when I was in school flooding back to me. Even the ones back in high school. 'You don't want to go to school,' I whispered, loud enough for her to hear. 'And I don't want you going there, either... You cannot go outside like I stated earlier since there's awful people out there.' I looked at her with a strict brow. 'You'll understand.'

She let out a heavy breath. 'Alright...' Then she walked out of the kitchen, and I heard her walking up the stairs to another room to look at.

Please don't unlock one of my manuscripts, I prayed silently as I continued slicing the tomatoes. Whatever you do, don't-

A loud crash came from upstairs, cutting my prayer off. I almost cut myself with the knife, dropping it on the floor when I heard a shrill scream. And just like all fathers do, my protection instincts kicked into overdrive as I bolted out of the kitchen and up the stairs, yelling at the top of my lungs. 'Hannah! Hannah!' I kept on yelling until I got the study room and stopped to see a broken lamp and one of the manuscripts unlocked, seeing a tornado forming just like it always does with all the books when they're unlocked. And while the ink is forming a monster, my eyes switched to see her on the floor, right next to the broken lamp. 'Hannah!' Quickly, I rushed over to her to see if she was okay. Only I didn't have time to do that when I heard a voice spoke. And it wasn't Slappy...

'Hello, dad.' Slowly I turned to see a twelve year old boy, tall and thin with short brown hair, wearing a black-sleeved baseball shirt, and grey cargo shorts and sneakers. Then saw an eleven year old girl who has short brown hair, with a violet headband on top of her head, a sleeveless pink T-shirt, dark purple cropped trousers and purple shoes. The twelve year old boy and the eleven year old girl both have hazel eyes and their skin color is Caucasian. Adding that, there stood a _third _kid, much younger at the age of five with large ears that poke out of light blonde hair, his eye color being blue. He wore a red and yellow striped shirt and black shorts, as well as blue sneakers. All three of them have freckles on their noses. The first boy spoke again. 'Hello, dad,' he greeted in repeat, grinning an evil grin. 'It's nice to see you...' His eyes glazed over at my new creation. 'Thanks for letting us out... Hannah,' he thanked.

'How...?' She sat up. 'How do you know my name?'

'Oh, please.' The short brown hair girl rolled her eyes, doing a smirk. 'Just because we're trapped in a book _doesn't _mean we can't hear you. We heard our dad talking to you,' the girl informed.

'Yeah,' the younger boy giggled. 'Thanks for freeing us,' he repeated the older boy's words. 'Our dad always kept us locked in our manuscript because he won't let us stay out for long.'

'That's right...' The older boy crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. 'Our dad locked us up because we're too _dangerous _to be set free forever. And thanks to you, we can scare the living crap out of people as long as we want. Hahaha!' He let out a laugh. 'Come and join us, _Hannah_,' he invited.

'She's not joining with you!' I stepped in front of them, blocking their view from Hannah. 'My daughter is nothing like any of you ghosts,' I stated boldly. 'You Sadler ghosts are no good for her.'

'That's too bad, dad,' the first ghost kid spoke in a snarky manner. 'And you're also a horrible dad, too,' he added. He looked back at Hannah, who is still behind me. 'I don't see how _you're _special. He basically treats all of us like bad people.'

'That's because you _are _bad people, Sam,' I argued. 'Even Louisa and Nat don't have any good in them.'

'Hey!' Sam exclaimed. 'We helped you scare those _jerks _that picked on you. But how did you repay us? By locking us up _in our manuscript!_' he screamed.

'You three are too dangerous!' I proclaimed. 'And Hannah is special because she's _different _then you demons,' I defended. 'I wrote her where she isn't evil. And you don't call me dad, only Hannah is allowed to call me that.'

'Really?' Louisa gave me evil slits of her eyes. 'You don't want us to call you dad, then too bad for you!' she declared.

'Yeah,' Nat added, his eyes sending daggers at me. 'We're your children, too!'

'Well, you're _not!_' I protested.

'Too bad,' Sam argued. 'And we're not going back in our manuscript!' His eyes burned angrily at Hannah, and he stomped over to her. 'None of us don't see why _you _can be free forever!' he raged. 'Why can't you be evil as _us?_' he questioned. 'No ghost is ever-'

'Leave her alone!' I roared, shoving him away from my daughter. 'She's nothing like you!' I claimed out loud. I went over and picked up the manuscript off the floor. 'You three shouldn't be out of your book, even if Hannah had released you!' I opened the book and Louisa and Nat got sucked in after they failed not to. But Sam wouldn't let go of the table, only his fingers started to slip off of it.

'We will be released again someday!' he cried out in anger, which are his final words...for now as he got sucked into the book. I shut it and quickly locked it with the key.

'Dad, I'm sorry... I just-'

'Now you see why the books have to be kept locked?' I gave her a disappointed look, interrupting her apology.

'I said that I am sorry,' she repeated. 'I was just curious, that's all...' She turned towards the floor, staring at the broken lamp. 'I just...wanted to know why they're locked. And before that happened, I heard...talking within the bookcase and pulled out one of your manuscripts, and they kept saying to let them out. So...being the good and friendly ghost that I am...I...well...unlocked it. I'm also sorry that I screamed like that. I didn't expect a strong gust of wind to come out of that book.' She forced her eyes away from the broken lamp. 'Are you...going to trap me back in my manuscript...for something I shouldn't have done...even after you told me not to open up any of the manuscripts?' she sentenced out very hesitant.

I sighed. 'No, Hannah. I won't.' I put the book back on the bookcase. 'Just don't do again, alright?' I advised.

'Alright,' she agreed, getting up off the floor. 'When will dinner be ready?'

'In about twenty minutes,' I simply answered before I walked out of the study room, going down the stairs to the kitchen to finish cooking the food.

About twenty minutes later, I called her to the dining room. 'Hannah!'

'Coming,' she called back. I heard her come into the dining room. 'Wow, dad, this looks great,' she praised, sitting down at one of the chairs.

'Thank you.' I sat down and while we ate, I cleared my throat. 'Since I won't let you go to _real _school, how about I homeschool you?' I offered.

'Do you have textbooks from school?' she asked.

'Not _that _kind of homeschool,' I informed. Hannah gave me a confused look, so I explained it to her. 'I did a lot of thinking to homeschool you, so...how about I teach you about the monsters that I've created before you came around?'

'Um...that's not really _homeschooling_, dad,' she told me.

'You want to know why those books have to be locked, right?' I required with a raised brow.

She did a lot of thinking, then sighed. 'Okay... if you want to homeschool me that way, that's fine with me...'

"So over the first years of having her around, I homeschooled her about the monsters, got her new bedroom set up, and even made sure she doesn't go outside when I'm with her or just out doing my errands," Stine completed his story. He noticed a baffled look on my face. "Is there a part of my story on how I created Hannah that you're confused at? Because I don't mind retelling it to you."

"No..." I spoke. "I'm just..." I rubbed the back of my neck. "You were _that _protective around her that you won't let her cut up a simple fruit?" I asked.

"I thought a tomato is a vegetable," he clarified.

"It's a fruit," I told him. I then looked over my right, seeing a snack machine. "Do you have a dollar I can borrow? I want to have a snack."

"Sure." He took out his wallet. "Here you go." He handed me a dollar bill.

Getting up from the couch, I walked over to the vending machine when I got bumped into somebody, landing on the floor. "Hey! Watch where you are-" I stopped my protest to see a boy about my age with very dark brown hair and silver eyes, wearing a red T-shirt and khaki pants, and running shoes. "...going..." My face turned red. Not from anger, and not from embarrassment. From...something else that I never felt before. And just before I can ask myself why and before I can answer, he spoke.

"Oh my, God. Are you alright? I didn't mean to bump into you," the kid apologized, going to my level that I was at since I'm on the floor. "I guess I wasn't paying any attention..." He trailed off once he got close enough to my level. "Whoa..." he breathed. "You look pretty," he smiled.

"I-I-I am?" I replied, stuttering. "No... no I'm not," I denied his comment. However, my face was still warm and it wouldn't go away. "No boy has ever called me 'pretty'."

"To me you are," he replied with that cute smile of his. "Let me help you up," he requested, holding out his hand.

Even though I don't like physical contact, for some reason I took his hand and didn't flinched as he helped me off the floor.

"So...why are you here?" he asked once I stood on my feet.

"Suicidal watch," I answered. "I'm bipolar and schizophrenic," I explained, my face still feeling really warm. "What about you? Why are you here?" I asked next.

"Depression," he shrugged, not losing his smile.

"You don't look depressed..."

He chuckled. "Just because I'm smiling doesn't mean I don't have it anymore. It's all controlled by the medication I take when I first got here because the last ones I took didn't work for me."

"Same with me. They never work and I kept having stupid side effects. Plus, I used to be diagnosed with clinical depression until I started having mood swings and everything else. I also have a fear of being...touched." Of course, my face is _still _red.

"Really?" he responded. "If you didn't like being touched, why did you let me help you off the floor?"

I shrugged. "I don't know…" I mumbled, now thinking that I'm a complete idiot. "I... I just… I'm not sure why I touched you," I tried to explain. I sighed. "Nevermind," I gave up, and changed the subject. "What's your name?"

"Jackson Smith. What about you?" He kept on smiling at me. "Are you new here? I don't think I ever saw you in this building before."

"Yes, I'm new. And my name is Hazel Monroe," I introduced back.

"That's a pretty name. Matches with you really well," Jackson pointed out. Then he looked over my shoulder. "Is that..." He paused. "Is that Mr. Shivers?" he questioned.

"Huh?" Confused, I look behind me then back at Jackson. "No, no. That's Stine," I answered. "He _did _went as Shivers when I first met him when I asked if he had any chores that I can do so I can earn money," I explained. "You see, I used to live by myself because my god parents would be so cruel towards me, along with my god brother. And then Stine's daughter asked if I can live with them and I said yes."

"Oh... Wait. You mean _the Stine_?" His face filled with shock. "The one man who wrote all those _Goosebumps _books? I live across from his street just two houses down," he claimed. "I didn't know he was R.L. Stine, because he told me his name was Shivers until you corrected me. Such a strange dude, too."

"Hey, don't call him strange," I defended. "_I _thought he was cruel when I heard his daughter screaming bloody murder, and one of my friends thought he was psychopath. So me, him, and his best friend went to see if she was okay. Turns out she was fine, and Champ, one of my new friends, saw these manuscripts, and Zach, my other friend, unlocked one, and well... things got really bad during that one night..." I stopped rambling. "If I told you what happened, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me," he challenged in a joking manner.

"Alright, here I go..." Then I told him, hoping he won't laugh at me, thinking I made this up. "Stine's evil creation, Slappy, got out of his manuscript and let the monsters to destroy Madison and Stine. He even had two of his friends take me to him and- Oh, forget it. I can see why you don't believe me." I was expecting him to laugh at me, only he didn't. "You're not laughing at me..." I realized.

"Why would I be laughing at you?" he grinned. "They showed that on the news channel, and I was the one who watched it. I tried telling everyone else but they thought I was telling a great story." He chuckled. "Plus, Slappy is that evil dummy, right?"

"Yes, and he doesn't like being called that," I informed with a frown, but still surprised that the monster invasion was on the news channel. "And Slappy calls Stine 'papa', and Stine believed he calls him that because he created him with a special typewriter, just like he did with his other creations, including Hannah-"

"Wait," he cut me off. "Hannah? Shivers- I mean, Stine's daughter? _She's _a creation, too?"

"Well, she told me she _knew _and _was_ a ghost before Stine brought her back... So yeah," I answered, twiddling my thumbs.

"Wow...just wow," he expressed. "You know, I always liked her," he explained. "It was before I came here and met you, so..."

"Sorry, she's already taken," I told him.

He smiled. "That's cool with me. Besides..." He winked. "...I'm starting to like someone else now."

"Wait... what?" I said.

Before he could reply, someone called him. He looked back to see someone waving him over, holding a clipboard. "Heh, sorry. That's my therapist. Guess I'll see you later?"

"Yeah..." I blushed. "We'll see each other later."

"Awesome. Bye." He waved and walked off as I kept standing there.

A minute past by and I just stood there, not moving a single muscle. "Okay, then..." was all I could come up with. Then I went over to Stine, handing his dollar back to him. "Here," I said. "I don't want to get a snack anymore."

"Alright." He took his dollar back, putting it back in his wallet, and noticed something. "Why is your face red? Is the vending machine not working?"

"It's not that, I just...bumped into this kid," I explained, feeling my face going back to its normal color. "It looks like the line is down," I pointed, sitting back down on the couch.

Stine nodded back in reply and got up from the couch, walking over to the counter and began talking to the guy on the other side of the glass, while I just sat there, my mind thinking about that one kid.

Jackson... Even thinking about him makes my face glow pink. Hmm... why is that? Do I...like him? Also, why did he said that I was...pretty? Like I told him, no boy has ever called me that. Was he being honest with me? Or was he just saying that to make him look...good about himself?

The more I tried to come up with my own answers, my face kept getting warmer by each second. The only answer I can come up is...

"Hazel." Snapping out of my thoughts, I heard my name being called, seeing a middle age lady. She smiled at me, gesturing her hand to go with her. With a sigh, I picked up my duffel bag, going over to her.

"Bye, Hazel," Stine waved, walking towards the door. "I'll pick you up once you get better," he promised.

I didn't say anything back, I just waved bye as well and followed the nice lady.

"So...you're Hazel, right?" she spoke.

"You did got my name right, so that answers the question," I responded. I transferred my duffle bag to my other hand. "So...what do new patients do when they first arrive here?" I asked, looking at all the pictures of everybody...smiling.

"Well, we just bring them to their rooms and let them settle in before they do anything else," she answered, explaining it to me.

"Is this like an insane asylum?" I questioned next.

"What? No," she replied. "Why would you think that?"

I shrugged. "...it just came to me..." I looked over at her. "My therapist told me there'll be other people my age with the same problems. Is that true?" I inquired.

"Actually, you'll meet a lot of people with the same problems that you have," she smiled. "Oh, I totally forgot to tell you my name. How rude am I! I'm Rosy," she introduced.

"That's a...nice name," I complimented.

"Thank you," Rosy expressed with a great attitude. "And here's your room," she gestured. I stepped into one of the rooms, seeing two beds at each end of the room, two dressers, and one lamp. The lamp isn't turned on since sunlight is filling up the room. "Also, I do need to check your bag in case you have something in there that is...harmful," she told me.

"But..." I gripped my duffel bag. "...Stine packed my things for me... There's nothing 'harmful' in here. Not even a scarf," I included. However, Rosy changed her attitude towards me. Instead of that smile, she gave me a serious look. "Really," I insisted. "There's nothing- Oh, fine! Here!" I slammed my duffel bag on the floor, my mood switching towards anger. Not only that, I felt violated, even though Stine didn't pack anything that I can use to harm myself with.

"Here you go." She handed my duffel bag. "You're bag is all clear," she reported.

That's what I was trying to tell you. That's what I wanted to reply, but instead I said, "Okay."

"Do you want me to bring you anything to eat?" Rosy offered.

I thought about it. "...I don't care what you bring me... I didn't eat much. I did have some McDonald's food since it took hours to get here."

"What part of Delaware to you live at, dear?" she asked.

"Madison..." I almost mumbled, going over to the bed that is on the left, staring at the other one. "Do I have a roommate?"

"Yes, and he'll be back here in a few minutes," she told me. "You might like him, he's a very nice fellow." She went over to the door, stopped, and turned to me. "Do you like chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I might not eat all of it..."

"That's okay, as long as you're eating," she understood. Then she walked out of the room.

While I waited, I went over to the window. Maybe looking at the nice sunlight would help... And just as I got close enough, it started pouring down rain, pattering on the glass. I grunted and kicked the wall.

"Dammit!" I cried. "Stupid weather...always ruins my days!" I blamed, kicking the wall again. "Ow!" I hopped on one foot, going towards the bed that I was at. Once the pain was gone, I opened up my duffel bag, pulling out my clothes to put them in my dresser drawer. Not only that, I felt something soft and pulled it out. My eyes widen when I realize it was brown teddy bear. I looked into my duffel bag again, and saw piece of paper folded in half.

With a curious look, I took it out and unfolded it, turning out to be a letter.

_Since dad doesn't know how long you'll be in the Mental Hospital, I decided to let you borrow my teddy bear for comfort while you are there. I got it during my second sweet sixteenth birthday, because I was actually still a ghost before dad rewrote me back in existence, and I always cuddle with it when I'm feeling down, so… maybe it'll help give you hope...and maybe...to get you to smile this time_

_From, Hannah_.

Setting the note aside, I put my clothes away in the drawers, and put my duffel bag underneath my bed so I know where it is after I put some of the _Goosebumps _books next to it so I know where they are at, then laid down on the bed...

While I laid on the bed, the stuff bear in my arms, I began thinking. Hannah... I don't think your stuff toy will help, but... I sighed. I'll try my best to smile this time, I finished my thought. And...I'm not sure if stronger medication would help, either.

Turning onto my side, I faced the wall, gripping the bear in my hands. I feel like I'll be here...forever.

So I decided to close my eyes and _try _to think of happy thoughts...hoping that'll make me feel better.

* * *

**Hannah**

* * *

I sat in my room, hoping that Hazel will get better soon. And since it takes about two days for my dad to drop off Hazel at that special place, it took him hours on the second day, yes it's still the second day, for him to get here. And by the time he got home, it was getting late.

I heard the door open and close, and walked out of my room, going towards the stairs. "So?" I spoke, getting his attention. "How long will Hazel have to be in the mental hospital?" I asked, making my way down the steps.

Dad ran his fingers, brushing his hair like he always does. "It depends on when she gets better," he informed me. "Her therapist explained that some people get better faster than others. So...it might take some time." He walked over to the kitchen, leaning against the counter by the time I got to him. "You know, I was telling Hazel about how I created you before you weren't a ghost anymore." He let out a chuckle. "Remember when you first time you saw me?"

"Yeah..." I answered, recalling the event back in Columbus, Ohio. "I was a bit nervous around you..." I remembered. "And when I said 'dad' to you, you went to pick up my book, and I thought you were going to put me back in... with the Shadow Figure." I looked at the floor. "Did you tell her about when you wrote me back...?"

"...yes..." Dad replied with a shake of his head. "But I didn't want to tell her everything, that way I won't upset her on what happened to you in that book I had to write to catch all the monsters," he explained.

"Yeah..." I nodded, remembering what happened in the manuscript that I was in with all the monsters, including that wooden gremlin. I sighed. "Can I got over to Zach's place?"

"It's late, Hannah," he told me gently. "Everyone's asleep at this hour. It's like...eleven p.m. at night." He squinted his eyes at me. "Have you've been up all night?" he asked me.

"I couldn't sleep because I keep worrying about Hazel," I explained to him. "When I saw the scars on her arms...and told you what I believed she was doing...it scared me. I hope my stuff bear helps make her feel better," I wished. "Since that stuffed toy help make me feel better when I'm down...I bet it'll work on her." I then thought of something else. "Oh, by the way, why did it took you two days to get to that place and to get back home?"

Dad took off his glasses, holding them in his hand, rubbing his temples. "That place I had to take her is not in Madison," he said. "That's why it took me hours to get from there to get back here. What? Were you worried about me?"

I shook my head. "No. No, I wasn't. I just wanted to know, that's all." I leaned against the doorframe with my arms crossed. "Is Hazel mad at me for telling on her on what I saw? Because I think she is..." I looked up to see dad put on his glasses and walked up to me, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"What you did that day was a good idea. By telling me what you saw. And..." His hand slipped off my shoulder, dropping to his side. "...if you hadn't, she...well... let's just say she won't be around anymore."

I nodded in reply. "I'm going to bed..." I said, feeling tired. "I'm going to _so _tired at school tomorrow," I yawned.

"You can have coffee..." He trailed off when he saw the look on my face. "What? You don't like coffee?" he questioned.

"I never _had _coffee, dad," I told him. "You _never _allow me to have any. Even when I ask you if I can make a cup of my own."

"Well..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You can have some tomorrow to perk you up more since you stayed up waiting for me because I'm not going to let you sleep in and miss school, young lady."

I chuckled. "I know. And to be honest, it's kinda weird to have parent as a teacher at the school that I go to now," I remarked.

"Hey!" He raised his hands in playful defense. "Ms. Cooper is the vice principal at that same high school," he proclaimed. "Besides...have you've been seeing your _boyfriend _around in school lately?"

"Only at lunch and in the halls. We don't have classes together, except for one. And that's the study room. Only the school has a strict policy of 'public display of affection'. So... me and Zach had to imply with that rule until school is let out." I smiled, remembering when me and him got reunited. "I'm heading to bed," I waved. "Goodnight, dad."

"Night, sweetie," Dad returned back.

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

I watched as my daughter went up to her room for the night, waving to her after I returned a 'goodnight'. Then after standing there for at least two minutes, I went over to the dining room and sat down at the table. I placed my hand on my forehead, wondering when Hazel can come home, missing her already... just like how I am with... Slappy.

The more I think about Hazel, the more I think about the guilt that I did to my most famous creation ever... I know it's not easy to understand, but... I miss that guy, remembering the exact words he said to me at that creepy Funhouse... not noticing Hazel with us.

I can _even_ hear his words in my head that won't go away, him telling me how I locked him up in his manuscript way before I lived in Chicago and way before me and my daughter lived in Madison, Delaware.

"_I was your best friend, and you turn your back on me..." _his voice echoed, sounding very betrayed, angry...and possibly... hurt... inside my head. "_...locked me up, imprisoned me in a pages of a...book... You put me on a shelf...for years and years...the key was right there..." _I can almost see his face inside my mind, showing how upset he was with me, reminding the day when the even actually happened... "_And you never used it..." _his voice hissed, still in my head.

I'm wondering what's happening inside that new manuscript, I thought to myself, standing back up and going upstairs to my study and, to my surprise, I heard lots of growls and any other noises that my monsters make. However, as I got closer... I heard a very distinct voice in that new manuscript. But the only problem is that I can't make out the words, at all. And I know they belong to Slappy.

Looking behind me, I made sure that Hannah is still in bed. Then very slowly, I took the manuscript off the bookcase. The growls and all the other noises came to a halt, like I pause a movie of some sort. Even the voice of Slappy.

"Hello?" I called into the locked manuscript, my voice hesitant. There was no answer. I tapped on the book. "Hello?" Again, no answer. "Slappy, I know you can hear me!" I raised my voice. "I heard you and all those monsters in there, and you can also hear me, too!" I stopped, but received no answer. "Slappy, I'm not playing games with you! Answer me right now," I demanded.

There was no noise... That's weird. And just as I was about to do it again, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see Hannah with a baffled look on her face and half asleep.

"Why are you yelling at the book...?" she questioned with a yawn.

"Uh..." I put the book back on the bookcase. "I just...wanted to know what's going on in there..." I was hoping she'll buy it, and it would've happened if she was still half asleep. Instead her eyes widen with shock. "What?" I asked, catching her reaction.

"You're not going to release the monsters, are you?" Hannah questioned rather loudly.

"No," I replied. "No, no, no. I...I'm not, but..." I let out a sigh. "Go back to bed, Hannah," I told her, gesturing my hand.

She stared at me and then shrugged her shoulders. "...Alright." After looking at me a few seconds more, she went back to her room.

As I stood there, I took the manuscript off the shelf again just...staring at it. And this time, I lowered my voice so I won't end up waking Hannah up, which wasn't the first time that happened.

"Slappy?" I whispered softly, but loud enough for him to hear me. "Slappy, can you-"

Loud growls, roars, and noises came through the manuscript that I almost dropped it on the floor.

And through the loud sounds, a voice got mixed into it. A voice that belonged to Slappy... I put the book against my ear, flinching at the other noises just to make out his words.

"_Let...me...out..." _is what I believe I heard from his raspy voice. "_Let...me...out," _he repeated, sounding desperate.

What should I do? I asked myself. I know I told Hazel how much I miss him, but... she doesn't want me to release him. Even when I want to apologize for what I did to him years ago.

With a sigh, I told myself I'm going to end up regretting this. Slowly, I grabbed the key off my desk. "Slappy..." I spoke, my insides shaking like crazy. "I'm...I'm going to let you out. Don't let the others follow you," I instructed.

Placing the book on the floor, I put the key in the lock, placing my hand to make sure the manuscript doesn't fully open, and hoping that Hannah would not wake up this time.

Then with a deep breath... I unlocked the book.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

"_Who are you?" I cried out, as I stared at this person that looked very familiar by the last two dreams I had of him. Yes, you might guess, I'm dreaming again about this person... and it kept getting... creepy. "You...You were going to tell me in the last dream, so tell me now!"_

"_Why did you do it?" My eyes widen when he asked me the same question a third time. "Why did you run away like that?" he smirked. "How come you ran away from home...?" His smirk widened. "Why...?"_

"_Tell me your name," I pleaded, my eyes filling up with tears._

"_Don't you recognize me...?" I flinched when he lifted my chin up so he can force me to look at his dark appearance. He chuckled. "You're so dumb and stupid, Hazel..." he grinned. "But I will give you one hint..." He leaned towards me. "Hello, god sister..."_

* * *

I woke up with a start. On my face, I felt tears on my cheeks. Crap! I just cried in my sleep again. I looked over to the other bed, seeing someone under the covers, hoping that this person didn't hear me in case I mumbled in my sleep.

For some reason, I couldn't help but to start sniffling, hoping that this person at the other end of the room is a heavy sleeper as I laid back down, grabbing the stuff bear, putting my face on it to muffle out my sobs so they won't get to loud.

At least it happened before I ate... And yes, I did ate what Rosy brought me. And my therapy session won't start until tomorrow, so I guess she let me sleep in.

"Are you alright?" I jumped when I heard a familiar voice that I recognized. Turning my head around, I saw someone standing at the side of my bed. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Wanting to make sure it wasn't a complete stranger, I switched the lamp on, and my face turned bright red when I saw who it was.

"Is your face going to end up doing that every time you see me?" Jackson joked, thinking that it'll make me feel better.

"I didn't know you were my roommate," I answered honestly. "I thought you were still asleep..."

"I was...until I heard you crying..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You were asleep all day long, too," he told me. "I was glad to have a new roommate," he smiled. "My last one was complete maniac. Heh." He then looked at me with his silver eyes. "Why were you crying?" he asked.

"...I was having a dream," I replied.

"Really?" he said. "What was it about?" he inquired.

I didn't answer right away, because I wasn't sure if he'll think I was crazy. But I did it anyway. "It someone that I know..." I looked down. "I just...don't want to give you any details... because it wasn't the first time I had it," I explained.

"I see..." he nodded. "You want to sleep with me?"

"Why...?" I gave him a suspicious look. "Jackson, I don't think we're aloud to share beds," I told him.

"I don't think so, either but...there are tear stains all over your bed sheet along with your pillow," he said, pointing at my bed. He smiled. "Come on," he encouraged. "I'll explain to whoever comes in this room the next morning," he promised.

Thinking this wasn't a good idea, I replied. "...sure." I can't believe I'm sleeping with a cute boy... right on his bed with him! So I grabbed the teddy bear, getting up from my bed, turning the lamp off. Luckily, it wasn't _that _dark in the room all thanks to the moonlight streaming through the window. I watched him go back and lay on his bed, patting the mattress with his hand. I walked carefully towards him, and stopped right away, having second thoughts. "Uh...um..." I stammered. "Actually... never...never mind," I declined, feeling my paranoia going into me.

"Hazel... I'm not going to do anything to-"

"Yes, you are!" I cried out. "Don't lie to me!"

"Shh!" Jackson shushed.

"Sorry," I whispered. "But...I rather not...sleep with you..." I merely mumbled out. "Besides, I rather just go back to sleep in my own bed..." I went to walk back to my bed, when I felt him grab my hand, pulling me to his bed. I didn't struggle. I just...let him.

"Hazel... I don't want you to be up the rest of the night." He sat down on the mattress with me next to him. "Besides, I'm not like those _other _guys that lie to a lot of girls. My parents taught me to be a gentleman. My dad even said 'Jackson, whenever you get a girlfriend, treat her like a lady'." He shrugged. "Of course, my dad is in the military so I don't see him that much, and my mom is waiting for me to come back home since I drove myself here to this...place."

I raised my eyebrows. "You...you drove yourself here?" I responded. "How old are you?" I asked him.

"Almost seventeen," he shrugged.

"You're..._almost _seventeen?" I gave him a surprised look. "I thought you were sixteen." I pointed at myself. "Like me," I stated.

"I _am _sixteen," he explained. "I'll be turning seventeen in three weeks, and I'm hoping my birthday will be at home and not...here."

"Oh, now I understand... But just to let you know...it takes me awhile to get back to sleep," I told him.

"I know a trick that'll help you," he winked.

I looked at him. "What?" I watched as he pulled out what looks to be some kind of flute.

"I'm part Cherokee," he said, explaining to me before I could even ask. "This flute was passed down through my mom's side of the family. And don't worry, I know how to play this and everybody else knows in this building."

I nodded. "Okay..." I let out slowly. "Only...how is _that _gonna help me get back to sleep?" I questioned.

"Lay down and listen." He then started to play, blowing into it.

As I laid there on his bed, listening to him play that...interesting instrument, the melody floated into my ears. And I have to admit, he's really good at playing it. Not only that, but the tune sounded like... a lullaby, making my eyelids feel heavy by each second that I manage to get back to sleep...

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

I stopped right away, now beginning to have second thoughts about this but... I have to talk to him... I need to just...talk to him and tell him how...sorry I am for what I did to him.

I began to get a bit lightheaded and didn't realize that I was holding my breath. So I let out, not wanting to pass out on the floor or anything. Then very slowly, I opened up the book only halfway, and was greeted by the strong wind, and almost cried out when I felt something grab my sleeve of my shirt.

Realizing it was a wooden hand that belonged to Slappy, I grabbed his arm and began to pull, only for him to be tugged back into the book.

"Let go of me, you demons!" I then heard him yell out a curse word, but it wasn't directly towards me. "_Let go of me!" _he screeched on top of his lungs. I tugged harder and saw that the other monsters were trying to follow as I saw werewolf claws, the vines, and blob tentacles grabbing onto him.

Slappy kicked and squirmed, trying to get free from _them_. He let out a painful scream, shocking me.

With a final tug, I ripped him out of the books and away from the monsters, forcing them to let go. I shut the book and locked it, the noise dying away after I flung him across the room, and sat down to catch my breath.

That's when I heard groaning and turning to see the dummy picking himself up off the floor, which looks like he was struggling to do so. Not only that, I saw scratch marks on his face, a chip mark on his lower lip. His suit was shredded, and there was a big tear in the back, showing the inner workings of what all ventriloquist dummies have to make them talk.

I went up to him, hearing the joints of his arms and legs, reaching towards him. "...Slappy?"

"Don't touch me..." he hissed, his brown eyes giving me a sharp look.

I jerked my hand away from him. "You're welcome," I replied sarcastically.

"I didn't say thank you," he returned rudely. "And why did you let me out?" he asked in his raspy voice.

"Because you told me to..." I answered slowly.

He scoffed. "I'm surprised that _you_-" He pointed at me. "-would even listen," he stated. "You know, it wasn't the first time you ignored me," he confirmed.

I raised a brow. "Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me! You always ignored me all the time when you locked me up in my manuscript after you wrote me into existence! Ever since you let me out, you just...turned your back on me and left me to rot inside paper and leather! You-You didn't even _flinched_ after you sucked me into my manuscript, and just put me on a shelf and _just ignored me!_" I flinched as he continued his rant. "You even _said _I was your _favorite_ then all your other monsters that you made, but nooo you decided to put me back in my book after what I did to those bullies, even when I was only defending you because of what I saw. Now my 'friends' want of piece of me because they said I was being too slow. I guess breaking your fingers isn't enough to punish you, and I thought Blobby would finish you off, or I was just thinking about the good old days before you even before you forced me inside my book and all the other things that happened." Slappy's eyes brimmed with green tears, surprising me. "My stupid friends wanted to tear me apart because they said it was _my _fault!" he cried after he teleported and grabbed the book with his scratched up hand. At first I thought he was going to unlock it. But no, he threw it back on the floor, and kicked it across the room. "You can tell what they did to me! They _attacked me!_" he exclaimed.

"Just like you did to Hazel," I reminded him, getting him to shut up. "She told me what you did to her. You even _bit _her and left words on her."

"I don't _care _what I did to her!" Slappy argued, not caring at all. "She was trying to stop me, like the brat that she is! I warned her to give me back the key and she wouldn't listen! So I did the only thing I could think of, and that's what I did." He pointed at me. "I should've done the same thing to you when you told me what I did to those bullies was wrong!" he proclaimed. "But I didn't, because I'm just a mistake! A _huge _mistake!" With a final stomp, he fell on his side, curling into a ball and covered his face with his tattered up hands, and started sniffling. "I'm just...a mistake," he repeated in a cracked voice. "That's what you think of your own son. Not only you locked me up because of what I did to those bullies, but you also did it because my pranks went too far!" he sobbed, keeping his face hidden from me. "And after you trapped me inside my manuscript, you...you even _replaced _me."

It took me a second to understand what he meant by 'replacement', until I figured it out. Slappy thinks that I love Hannah better then him. I sat down and stared at the floor. "You're not a mistake," I told him.

"Don't lie to me, you jackass." He didn't uncover his face. "I know that you are lying to me, because you promised that you wouldn't turn your back on me, and _you broke that damn promise!_" he screamed, muffling it so it wouldn't be too loud. "You _hate _me. And now my friends hate me, too. They even blamed me after I tried to get rid of your daughter even it was their job to catch her after she escaped from me before I can murder her so she wouldn't ever _see _that Zach kid ever again who crammed us all into _one _book. Do you know how tight is it in there!? There had been times where there's open spaces because I keep jumping at one chapter to another to get away from them after I failed to get rid of your so-called daughter, but they keep on going after me. And once those vines grabbed ahold of me, they...they beat me every single day. In that book everything is like the real world, only with lots of differences in it. But then when I got free from them, I didn't pay attention when I jumped to the middle of the book, and they trapped me and beat me some more!" He sniffled and sobbed some more. "You hate me, I know you do... and I don't blame you for that because I...I hate you, as well."

It seemed like an hour that went by after what he told me. Yes, I knew what Hannah went through in that book after I wrote he back after what she told me what happened in there, but... I sighed. "Slappy, I don't hate you." He ignored me, not responding back because of his uncontrolled sniffling and sobbing. "Look at me, Slappy," I instructed. He slowly looked at me, and wiped his eyes as if he was crying. "Come here." I held out my arms.

He gave me an untrusting look. "How do you know I won't strangle you?"

"Because I trust you that you won't." I waited, not wanting to show any emotions or anything. I watched as he sat up from the floor, and carefully went on his knees, using them for support as he went towards me. Without any hesitation, he jumped into my arms, gripping my shirt.

"I really do hate you," he said in brutal honesty.

"I know..." I spoke. "But like I said, I don't hate you."

"...whatever." Slappy let go and stared at me. "Are you going to put me back in?" he asked, sounding very indifferent about it, referring to the book.

"I'll tell you what..." I ran my fingers through my hair. "I'll let you stay out of the book as long as you don't cause any trouble around this house. But-" I pointed a strict finger at him. "-you can let out your frustrations out on me whenever you want. Also, if you try anything to do to my daughter again from your last attempt in the book, you're going back in. Not only that, when Hazel gets back home, you're going to have to apologize to her." I looked down at the floor. "Even though she told me not to let you out of that new manuscript."

"Hold on just a second," Slappy interrupted. "What do you mean 'when Hazel comes back home'? What? Does she live here with you now?" he inquired.

"Yes, and she's in a mental hospital for suicidal watch," I explained. "And I'm not sure _when _she'll be coming back home, either." I looked at the clock. "One a.m.? Boy, it sure is late," I remarked. And when I faced away from the clock, I witness Slappy falling back on his side again. "Are you alright?" I asked in full concern, even though I didn't want to show it.

"I don't feel too good..." he replied.

I picked him up and he flinched. "You're probably just tired." I stood up and put him on the large chair. "Stay here and don't move."

"Where am I going to go?" I heard him reply in a sarcastic voice.

I then came back with a sleeping bag and pillow. "I do have two guest rooms, and one of the guest rooms is Hazel's so you can have the other one. But for now, you just sleep in here," I told him.

While I set everything up, Slappy spoke again. "You do realize your being nice to someone who tried to kill you, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "I know..." I finished setting everything up. "There. Now I know you don't need sleep, but this would have to do."

Slappy grumbled and got down from the large chair, making his way to the sleeping bag. He then crawled into it, laying his wooden head on the pillow. "You know," he brought up, "Hannah is gonna have a spaz attack when she sees me, and whenever Hazel gets back home, she'll have going to have that same reaction. And I refuse to feel bad for what I did to her."

"Your choice." I picked up the book. "But you are going to have to apologize to her whenever she gets back home for what you did and said to her. She's going through a very tough time now," I said. "So you don't have any choice, at all."

He crossed his arms. "Fine," he gave in. "I'll...apologize to Hazel whenever she gets back home. Or I can just teleport to that place you mentioned." He thought about it. "Yeah, I should do that."

"It's too far away," I confirmed. "Besides, I want her to see you when she gets back home whenever she can."

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine."

I nodded. "Good." I walked across the room and picked up the book, then looked at Slappy. "Just making sure you don't have any ideas..." I murmured.

"Oh, please. If I let my 'friends' out of that damn book, they'll beat me even more," Slappy remarked, referring to the monsters.

I nodded again. "Uh huh. Well...goodnight. May rest give you peace." I looked away. "...I hope." Then with the book in my hand, I walked out of the study room, and shut the door quietly, holding the doorknob. After, I went to my room to hide the manuscript before I went to bed.

Once I did that, I went under the covers, shutting the light off. "I hope Slappy doesn't have any bad ideas," I thought out loud. I sighed. "And I hope Hazel comes back home soon."

And with that, I shut my eyes, waiting for sleep to enter me.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

I woke up the next day to hear knocking on the door, and to see the sunlight poured through the window. I sat up. Or at least tried to, only to barely move around at all. And to wonder why my face burned when I felt Jackson arm around me. I guess he did that after he finished playing it. Do I feel uncomfortable? To be very honest... no. But if I don't get out of his grasp, I might end up blushing even more.

The knocking continued, and right before I can wake him up, the door opened. Please, don't see this the wrong way, I begged silently, thinking the person that came into room would start hollering at me.

I waited and receive no yelling. So I looked up to see Rosy with a smile. "Morning," she greeted, then let out a giggle. "Was your boyfriend keeping you company?" she asked.

"Huh?" I rubbed my eyes. "No... No." I shook my head. "He just let me lay on the bed with him because...my bed has tear stains all over it, along with my pillow," I told her. "I was crying last night from a dream which happened a third time," I explained to her.

"Oh," she said with a slight nod.

"Yeah..." I looked away from her. "I...hope you don't see this the wrong way..."

"No, not at all." She smiled. "Besides, Jackson is one of the nicest people in this building." She winked. "And I think he likes you, too." She then frown. "He did had a girlfriend, but it turns out she was a complete fraud towards him. But...it seems like he found a new one."

"Um...we're not in a relationship," I replied. "In fact, no boy ever dated me. Ever." I looked over at Jackson who is still sound asleep. "If you don't mind, can you wake him up for me. He looks like he's a heavy sleeper."

"He is, actually," Rosy chuckled. She then put his hand on him, shaking him gently. "Jackson, it's time to get up," she started waking him up. Of course, all she got was a snore. So she tried a different approach. "Jackson, your mom is here."

"Mom?" Well, that woke him up that he quickly released me and sat up, his hair a complete mess. "My mom is here to visit me?" he asked with a smile, then frowned. "Wait a minute..." He squinted his eyes at Rosy. "You just said that to wake me up, didn't you?" he figured out.

"Yes, I did," she admitted. "Only I had to, because it seems like Hazel couldn't move at all," she pointed.

I looked at Jackson, my face still red. "I _really _can't move," I insisted. "Before you released me," I added.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know." He brushed his fingers through his hair, looking at Rosy. "If you don't mind, can I give Hazel a tour around the building?"

Rosy thought about it. "Her first therapy session starts at eight, so you only have an hour. So yes," she grinned. She walked towards the bed, taking the pillow case and the blankets and the sheet off my bed. "I'll put these cleaned for you, darling, before you go to bed tonight. Oh." She stopped. "And breakfast is waiting for you at the cafe, so you better get a move on," she stated.

"There's...a cafe?" I questioned with a confused look. I looked at Jackson with a raised brow. "Is that true?" I said.

"Yes, there is. Come on, that's where we'll go first," he confirmed. "Just let me get dressed, and after I take my pills, we'll go there and eat. And then I'll give you a nice tour of this place. It's not like any other mental hospitals that you see on TV or in the movies," he declared, jumping out of bed, going over to his dresser, and pulled out his clothes. "I swear, Hazel, it's better than any other place I went to," he swore. He ran into the bathroom to get ready.

A few minutes later, he came out of the bathroom. "Ready?"

"Um..." I let out, looking at the clothes I wore. "Let me get ready, too..." I got out of bed and went to my dresser, pulling out fresh clothes, heading to the bathroom, shutting the door.

After I got dressed, I grabbed a hairbrush that was on the sink. I was kinda grossed out when I saw tangled up hair in the bristles, so I took them out, throwing it in the small trash can to clean it off. Then I brushed my hair, getting the tangles out.

While I was doing that, I had a strange feeling back at Stine's house. Either that, or maybe I'm just...crazy. I don't know why, but... I feel like Stine released that evil dummy. Again, I could be crazy, even though I'm not.

By the time I was done, I walked out of the bathroom all dressed. "I'm ready," I announced softly, not looking at Jackson to avoid any redness that would appear on my face. "Let's...go to the café..." I spoke.

"Awesome!" Grabbing my hand, he led me out of the room, leading me to the cafe.

* * *

The cafe was noisy by the time we got there. I saw people of my age and older eating and talking. It was pretty packed, too. "Jackson..." I began to feel a bit anxious. "Where are we going to sit? This place is... filled with people," I confirmed uneasily.

"Don't worry, I know a place we can sit," he reassured me, going up to the trays, and grabbed one. I also grabbed a tray, as well. "What do you eat for breakfast?" He gave me the same cute smile from yesterday.

"I like...pancakes?" I answered, which sounded like a question when I replied back. Of course, my face burned red.

He laughed. "Gee, your face is red again." His silver eyes beamed into mine. "You know... I do like you. Really," Jackson insisted, leading to where the pancakes are. "Here are the pancakes," he directed proudly, like he knows the place at the back of his hand. "Take how many you want, Hazel. They make the best food here, ever," he promised me, sounding very trustworthy.

"Alright..." I took a couple of pancakes, setting them on the plate that is on my tray. I noticed him raise a brow. "...what?" I said.

"Are you sure you want two pancakes? You might be still hungry, and lunch doesn't start until twelve."

My mood switch all of a sudden. "Are you controlling me on how much I eat!?" I yelled, getting angry. "Do you have a problem with that?!" He backed away from me with a stunned look in his eyes. "Answer me!" I commanded. "Why did you ask me that _stupid_ question?!" I can feel people stare at us, only I was too focused to even noticed.

"Hazel, calm down," he settled. "I just wanted to know if you want more, that's all," he responded, walking up to me. "You don't need to get angry at me. It's my fault, I should've never asked you that."

My anger vanished and I was left with guilt. "No..." Tears came to my eyes. "It's my fault. I shouldn't reacted like that." I stared at the floor, not wanting him to see me like a complete fool. "I'm...going back to our room," I mumbled, setting my tray down. "I'm not hungry anymore..." I turned to walk away when I felt his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him, and saw sorrow in his eyes.

"Please eat, Hazel," he begged. "If you don't eat, your mood swings would get worse. I've been through with people with the same problems that you have, and they're moods change a lot quicker without food in your stomach. Believe me, it happens."

"You're right. People do get mood swings without anything to eat," I agreed. "Okay, just to make sure you don't worry about me...I'll eat as much as I can," I decided.

"Great choice." He grabbed some pancakes, and took me to the other food stands. Not only that, we got our drinks which is orange juice. "Here, let me take you to the table I always sit at," he gestured. He led to a table over by a window. He set his tray down, and right before he sat down, he pulled my chair out.

Not wanting to be rude, I sat down. "Thanks..."

"You're welcome." He then sat down at his chair. "So..." he started. "Tell me about yourself."

"Uhh..." I tensed my muscles, looking at him. "Sure," I relaxed as he gave me that encouraging smile. "I'll just give you background of my childhood. Long story short, I was beaten..."

"Oh my gosh." He put his hand on over his mouth. "By who? Your parents?" he said, not liking what I started to say.

"God parents," I shortly answered in a bitter tone of voice. "You see, my real parents died in a car crash back when I was five, and I ended up living with my god parents. My first thought was 'cool, I can live with these people' and that's when I used to smile. But then," I frowned, "I found out that they..._hated_ me. They never liked me." I looked down at my plate, picking up my fork. "Even my god brother," I included, ripping a piece of pancake, shoving into my mouth. I chewed and swallowed to continue my story. "I get beaten everyday by my god father, Jeff, get screamed in my face by my god mother, Kelly, and Travis, my cruel god brother, would tell frauds to them so I can get...hurt. In fact, speaking of him, I think I saw him my dreams three times. And the third one was last night," I informed.

"Wow." I lifted my head up and went to say something, and he explained what he meant. "I mean wow, I can't believe how...cruel they sounded. They should go to jail."

"Oh please," I snorted. "They'll just make up stories, and those stupid cops in Madison would end up believing _them_ and not me. Besides, I don't need to worry about them anymore," I brushed off. "And I hope I don't get face to face with Travis. Just because I dreamt about him doesn't mean it gonna come true, right?" I looked back at him.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders. "You _could_ be right," he concluded. He took a drink of his juice. "Anything else you want to tell me?"

"I...ran away from home," I added. "It started after I got fed up with my classmates back in kindergarten who always make fun of me. They always judge me for the things I do and the books that I like to read."

_"Goosebumps?"_ he guessed.

"That is correct..." I finished up my breakfast, pushing the plate to the side. "You know... I thought Zach, Hannah, Champ, and Stine were only _pretending_ to be my friends. Only I was wrong about them." I got up from the table. "So...that tour you were talking about?" I reminded.

He quickly finished up. "Yeah, yeah let's go."

"Shouldn't we take our trays up?"

"No, the people that work at the cafe area always clean up our mess. Although, I did tried to insist that I should clean up my own mess, only for them to refuse to let me." He smiled. "Let's go so I can give a grand tour," he led.

I gave him a nod in return, and followed him out of the cafe with one question in my head.

Do I really like him? It's up to me to find out.

* * *

**Note: Wow, I believe that this is my most _longest _chapter ever. And yes, Slappy is released from the new manuscript. I thought about writing that scene later in the story, and decided to do it now since months had been passed by. I can't _believe _this chapter is so long, longer then my other chapters. Plus, how would Hannah and Hazel react when they see Slappy? Especially Hazel since she doesn't know when she's coming back home to Stine's house. You just have to find out, readers!**

**Also, just to clarify, a tomato is a _fruit_, not a _vegetable_. Alright? So for those who say a tomato is a vegetable, it is not. It's a fruit, okay? A fruit.**

**Plus, I'm still trying to think of a rewrite of my Goosebumps The Game from my 3Ds, and it's not easy coming up with a title, along with the stories that I want to rely on _Goosebumps_. So keep checking everyday for relied stories and chapters on this story, too. I love writing this story. **


	19. Chapter 19: Reflection Speaks, I Respond

**Chapter: 19: Reflection Speaks, I Respond**

* * *

I walked with him as he showed me around, pointing at everything. I have to admit, he was a really good tour guide despite his...cute nature of his that my face would just keep turning pink or red every time I looked at him, having him giggle. Not in a mean way like Travis would do after I get beaten by Jeff, in a humorous way. However, and to be honest, I can't _really _tell if a boy _likes _me. The like where you...want to be in a relationship with that person. Just like Zach did with Hannah when she was written back to our world. And I should've paid a lot more attention in front of me then to keep looking at Jackson when I bumped into someone, landing harshly on the floor, hitting the side of my head.

I sat up, wincing when I felt pain on the spot that I landed. I would've been crying due to this, except I didn't have time when I heard a harsh voice right in front of me. "Watch where you're going, you idiot!" Slowly, I looked up to see a girl glaring down at me. "Hey! Are you deaf?" she exclaimed, clearing not sorry for what she did. "I said, watch where you are going, you prick!" I flinched when she said that word. It was the first time I heard someone call me that.

"I'm-I'm-I'm sorry," I tried to apologize. "I-I-I didn't see-see y-you-"

_**"Sorry?!" **_the girl fumed. "You bumped into _me! _I didn't do it! Now get lost or I'll-"

"Hey!" Jackson stepped in front of me, blocking my view from her, like he was protecting me or something. "You _do not _talk to her that way, Linda," he defended. "_You _need to watch where _you're _going. It's not her fault!" he refuted, changing his kind smile into a frown.

"Why are you blaming me, Jackson?" She pointed at herself. "I'm your girlfriend, remember?" Girlfriend? "And why are you with...ick...her?" She made a disgusted face as if I'm some kind of disease.

"You're my _ex_-girlfriend." He didn't move an inch. "Plus, you shouldn't talk to people that way, either," he added.

"Pft, whatever." With a final scoff, she walked away after she gave me a death glare, sending chills down my spine.

"Are you okay?" Jackson questioned in full concern, helping me up to my feet. "Let me see the side of your head," he requested.

Feeling upset for what just happened, I let him since he said it so...kindly. He used his fingers to lightly brush my hair behind my left ear. I winced when he touched my face. "You do got a bruise there..."

"I bruise up all the time," I explained, flinching when his fingers lightly touched it due to the pain from it, not from physical contact like most of the time. "Don't worry...all bruises and marks heal. I'll just keep it covered up with my hair." I placed my hair on it, covering it up like I mentioned. "Are you going to continue the tour?" I asked.

"Sure...sure. But are you dizzy or anything?" Clearly he was worried about me. "You should sit down," he advised, placing his hands on my shoulders. He tried to take me where the couches and chairs are at, so I took hold of his wrists, gently taking his hands off me.

"Jackson... I'm fine, alright? Besides, that was your ex-girlfriend?" I said.

"Yep," he bluntly returned with hatred. "In fact, it was _her _fault for giving me depression in the first place, too. But...I shouldn't blame her. She has a problem of her own." He began walking again with me by his side. "She has a _lot _of anger issues, and it seems like the treatment isn't helping." He smiled. "Don't worry about her, Hazel," he reassured me. "She's going through tough times like you are..."

I bit my tongue with my teeth, chewing it a bit. Now I understand why she blew her tone at me. It's like how I screamed at Stine and everybody else. Especially at Hannah... Oh, I hope she isn't afraid of me... Then I remembered the teddy bear she gave me. To me, she also gave that stuff to me to also assure me that I didn't hurt her feelings, and not just for it to be just a soft comfort that I have to cuddle every night now while I'm here.

Plus, I can't wait to go home... Do people get visits by other people? Well, since I'm _far _from the town of Madison, I'll not get any visits whatsoever. Don't get me wrong...I don't mind a tad bit. I don't want Stine to drive for two days to visit me and then have to drive all the way back home...

Starting to feel homesick, I glanced over at Jackson. "Is it okay to stop the tour?" I begged "I...don't feel good right now." I was honestly feeling sick to my stomach, beginning to feel nauseous to the point where I can actually _feel _the pancakes in my stomach starting to churn.

Noticing my current state, he took it the other way. "Do you want me to get the nurse for you so you can lie down?" There was care in his voice.

"No, no. I'll...just head back to our room and rest," I declined, not wanting to make a scene that would embarrass me for the rest of my life due to my...disorders. Not only that, I began to feel...a little dizzy. Not badly. Just...a little that I can still walk. "I only have half an hour before my first therapy session so...yeah..."

I can feel him stand there, then heard him come up to me. "I'll tell Rosy that you aren't feeling well," he offered with great concern. "She can reschedule it for you. She does this all the time when other patients are not at their...best state."

I thought about it and returned with a nod, giving him permission to do so. "Alright..." I responded, my sickness getting slightly worse. "Go ahead..." I waved my hand like I'm shooing him away. "...go on and tell her if that's what you want..." My stomach continued to churn, but I manage to keep walking, not wanting to look like a complete weakling.

Rest is what I need now...

Once I got to the room, I laid on my bed despite with nothing on it after I grabbed the stuff bear off of Jackson's bed.

Sadness overwhelmed me to the point to where I was sniffling and softly crying... Adding to that, I can feel something was up at the Stine household. I hope it's just my imagination... except, I don't think it is. Now I'm thinking that now only that I'm homesick, but I'm also sick from...something else.

Clutching the stuffed animal close to me, I breathed in from my nose and out from my mouth when I hand twitched with nervousness... which didn't happen in a little while ever since...Slappy got trapped in his book. But why?

That's when I remembered. I totally forgotten that _thinking _about him makes me...ill.

"Just don't think about that wooden demon," I told myself out loud, resting my eyes shut. "Stine would _never _let him out of that new manuscript." I put my face on the stuff bear's fake fur, feeling my sickness going down a notch.

Eh, I'm just overreacting. I trust Stine. He's like...another...dad to me. Much nicer than Jeff. Hell, if me and him were arguing, he'll never beat the crap out of me for sure like Jeff would do when I was very little.

With a sigh, I kept my eyes close with the tears making me feel even more...tired, waiting for my first therapy session.

* * *

I woke up to feel someone shaking me lightly. I opened my eyes to see Rosy taking her hand off of me. "Do you want to start therapy now?" she smiled. "It's been three hours ever since I reschedule it," she told me. "Or do you want to wait until tomorrow?"

"I'll do therapy," I decided, sitting up from my bed, brushing my hair behind my ear when I heard a tiny gasp. "What?" I looked up at her to see her staring at my bruise. "Oh, um..." I put my hair back on it. "Some girl...ran into me," I explained. "And...I hit my head pretty hard on the floor..."

"Oh my." The shock looked didn't leave her face. "Do you feel dizzy?" Oh great, it's the same question that Jackson gave me. "Maybe you should wait until tomorrow," she suggested.

That's when my paranoia kicked in, mixing in with anger, as I lifted myself off the bed. "Why?" I proclaimed. "Are you keeping me from getting any help!? Is that what you are doing?! Huh?!" I stormed up in front of her, starting to get extremely aggressive, not acting like myself at all. "You don't want me to get help," I accused, pointing my finger in her face. "You people besides the ones I trust are _complete _liars!" My face began to turn an angry red.

"Hazel...no. No, I just thought it would be a good idea to wait until tomorrow. Since you said that you hit your head hard on the floor, it's probably best for you to just re-" She was cut off when I went over to the dresser and kicked it. "Hazel!" I ignored her, kicking the dresser again. "Hazel, stop it!" she cried, grabbing ahold of me. "You're going to end up hurting yourself!"

Through my aggressive behavior, I forced her to let go of me, grabbing the lamp, and throwing it down at the floor.

That's when it all stop. It was like someone paused a movie or something out of the blue. I froze, my anger slipping away from me, my mood doing a whiplash of depression and sorrow. I sat down next to the broken lamp, not being able to control the tears that are now dripping onto the floor, creating two puddles in front of me, one of them looking like...a heart. A broken heart.

I began to feel...remorse inside my own...heart.

The tears kept on splashing onto the floor when she knelt next to me, placing her hand on my shoulder that I flinched from being touched that I ended up scooting away from her like a shy child.

I got on my bed, grabbing the stuff bear in my hands, putting my face on it. I don't want her to see me cry... even though she knew I didn't mean to...act like that around her.

If I don't get my head back together...I'll never go home. Home to Stine and Hannah and everybody else... My life is...horrible. I'm starting to not trust this place anymore. I'm going to be here...forever.

I heard Rosy pick up the jagged pieces. Luckily, the lamp only broke into large ones, so there isn't any small ones on the floor.

After she cleaned up the mess, I can feel her eyes on me. "I'm going to leave you alone, okay?" she spoke, breaking the silence that filled the room. I couldn't answer because I was sniffling too much, and speaking would be a challenge. "I'm going to get your bed stuff out of the dryer, so when I come back, you just need to get off your bed for a few seconds so I can put everything on it. Or..." Even though I wasn't looking at her, I know she was giving me that pleasant smile of hers. "...you can share Jackson's bed." At least she didn't mind what she saw hours ago with me laying next to Jackson that very morning. "It seems like he cares for you...a lot." Once she let out her final words, she walked out of the room.

Laying there on the bed, that remorse feeling wouldn't go away at all. Why can't I be...normal? I hate feeling this way, I hate having these stupid mood swings, and I hate...hearing voices and seeing things that are not there...

_You should run away_…

I sat up quickly with a startled look. "Who...?" I looked around the room. "Who said that?" I questioned out loud in a soft voice.

_I did_, it spoke. _I talked to you before when you had to help those fools stop Slappy and his monsters_. I almost let out a yelp when I finally recognized it. It was the same voice that has always been in my head. _If you're wondering why I didn't speak to you is because I...was taking a break_, the voice spoke. _But I miss talking to you, darling, and I have one request for you_.

What? What request do you have for me?

The voice laughed. _Run away from here and never come back_, the voice demanded.

What?! No way in hell! I can't just...leave this place. I need help and lots of treatment before I can even go home.

_Ooo, such great bravery from you, Hazel_. The voice seems like it's mocking me for the greater. _Just like those fools that are your damn friends! I can't BELIEVE that you are now living with that writer BAR. L Stine who is complete psychopath_.

It's _R.L _Stine and he's not a psychopath!

_Don't correct me, missy! _The voice seemed to scold me like a parent. _Now why don't you get out of this stupid mental hospital? Clearly this place isn't going to help you at all. Lots of people committed suicide, unable to go back home. You're weak and never recover from your illnesses is because guess what? _The voice paused, doing it on purpose. _There is no cure… No cure, Hazel! Yes, there is medication and treatment for this, but these problems would last...forever!_

Shut up! I covered my ears. I'm not going to listen to you, you damn freak!

_Freak?! _The voice seems to get angry. _You're calling me a freak!? I'm NOT a freak!_

Yes, you are. Now I'm arguing with the voice that surrounded inside my head. I refuse to listen to you! I'm not going to trust a stupid voice that tells me bad things on what to do.

_Too bad, Hazel! This place is for crazy people just like YOU! Now run away from here, or else those thoughts of suicide will get worse!_

No, I'm not going anywhere until I get better. I'm not crazy! This place isn't for crazy people, it's a place where people like me can get... I sighed with defeat, knowing that I won't win this battle. Help, I completed my final thought, my head lowering, feeling tears running down my face.

_That's what I thought... So are you going to do it?_

I'll think about it... Just then Rosy came back. I quickly dried my eyes and got out of bed. I watched as she got the sheet and everything ready. "I'll...I'll do that for myself," I spoke up, not wanting her to do things for me.

"No, I'll do it," she insisted. "Besides, it's my job to do so." While she set the bed up, she turned to me. "Just to let you know, I'm not angry with you. I see this _all _the time," she told me.

My eyes drooped with sadness. "...really?" I replied, not believing a word she is saying. "I thought you'll get...mad at me for my...behavior that I...just did," I sentenced out in full of guilt. "And...I've been hearing this...voice in my head," I finished, adding that to the sentence as well.

Rosy arched a brow. "You...were hearing voices?" she repeated my words.

"Voice," I corrected. "Just one. But sometimes I'll hear more than...just one voice." I ran my fingers through my hair. "Can I just do my therapy session?" I requested. "The one back in Madison said that you guys _might _have stronger medication because how bad my bipolar and schizophrenia really is." I looked at her with my hazel eyes. "If you guys have any, that is," I mumbled, thinking that they don't have it at all.

"Hm..." She bit her lip, thinking about what I said. "Sure." She gave me a small smile. "You can do it after lunch." Her left eye did a quick wink. "Plus, someone is waiting for you," she beamed with lots of happiness.

"Jackson?" I guessed, not surprised at all, but can't help it as my face got warm. "He's waiting for me at the cafe, right?" I said.

She nodded. "Yep," she informed me, "he's waiting for you and as already got food for you to eat, too." Her smile didn't leave her face. "I can tell that you like him from that red face of yours," she pointed out.

When she said that, my face turned even a brighter red. "Uh, um, I," I stammered. "I...uh..." But I just gave up, walking to the door. "I'm heading to the cafe," I announced, walking out of the room until I was stopped by Linda. "Oh great," I muttered.

She brushed her toe against the carpet, slumping her shoulders down. It seemed like minutes ticked by when she looked at me. "Listen," she managed to say. "I'm...sorry for getting in your way and bumping into you," she apologized, flicking her hair onto her right shoulder. "If you want to, you can sit with me during lunch," she offered with a kind smile.

"Sorry." I shook my head and declined. "Jackson is waiting for me at the café... what?" I saw her eyes narrowing, making them look angry.

"You sitting with that _damn boy who broke up with me?!_" she raged, letting out a swear word that burst out of her mouth. "You know what? I take my apology back," she declared, her eyes burning into mine. "_I'm_ supposed to be his girlfriend, but he decided to breakup with me for no reason!" she yelled.

I just stood there, crossing my arms. "The reason he broke up with you is because _you-_" I pointed a finger at her. "-were the one who gave him depression," I responded, not wanting to be afraid of her, even though my insides shook like crazy. "It's pretty much clear that your treatment isn't helping you," I stated.

She glared at me that sent chills down my spine.

Then with a heavy breath, she calmed down. "...You're right, Hazel. The treatment isn't helping me at all. At first it would but..." She looked away from me with a gloomy mood and... I can just...feel it. It's almost as if I can feel it, making me feel all sad. "...it never works for me, and I've been here since last year of my life... Also, if Jackson becomes your new boyfriend... I don't care..." I think you're lying, Linda. "I'll...see you later?"

Thinking that she's still lying, I nodded. "Yeah, maybe." With that, I walked past her, heading to the cafe so I can eat...with Jackson.

When I arrived at the café , not a lot of people were there. Just a few hanging around and talking, so it was easy for me to spot him at the same table because he waved me over to him with that same cute smile of his. I didn't hesitate, I just went up to him, and saw that he had already pulled out my chair ahead of time. I sat down and saw what was on the plate in front of me. Two slices of pizza with pepperoni.

I picked up my first slice, peeling the pepperoni off. I'm not a...spicy type of person.

Jackson seemed to notice. "Oh... I didn't know that you don't like spicy food," he frowned, thinking what he did wasn't a mistake.

I shook my head. "It's fine. You didn't know." I took the last pepperoni off, setting it on a napkin, taking a bite of my first pizza slice. "Linda came up to me," I reported.

He stopped chewing his slice mid-way. "What did she do?" Jackson asked.

"Well..." I swallowed. "She walked up to me, apologize for running into me, then requested that I should sit with her, then I declined, she got mad when I told her that I'm going to be with you at the cafe, then I have to tell her what you told me on how you got your depression, she agreed with me, telling me she's been here last year, and said that she wouldn't mind if I was your new girlfriend-" I stopped my listing when that word popped out of my mouth, feeling my face getting warm by each second, seeing his silver eyes staring at me. "Forget that last part I said." I continued eating, forcing my eyes away from him.

When I finished, I got up from the table. "I'm going to my first therapy session." I was about to walk away, when Jackson placed his hand on my shoulder. "I'll ask who my therapist is and ask for directions."

"Okay." He slipped his hand off of me. "So you're going to do it now?"

"Uh huh," I returned. "Rosy suggested that I should wait until tomorrow, but I wanted to do this as soon as I can." Turning around, I walked out of the cafe, going up to the first counter that I spotted. "Excuse me?" The lady lifted her head up, revealing the red-rimmed glasses that is on her face with a gold chain attached to each end. "Who's my therapy doctor here and what room is it at?" I asked, drumming my fingers on the countertop.

She didn't answer right away because she looked through the computer, clicking her tongue. To me, it seemed like hours went by. "I need your name and why you are here," she informed.

"I thought you already know why I'm here," I frowned.

"We do know," she responded. "We only ask that in case we wrote our patients health issues all wrong, along with their names. Just tell me your name and why you are here."

I told her my name, feeling annoyed inside of me and told her the reason why I'm here. She nodded at my words.

"Your therapy doctor is Dr. Snyder, he's in room one-twenty seven. You just go straight, make two right turns, and the door will be on the left side," the lady directed.

Simple enough, and following what she said wasn't too hard to catch. I gave her a nod and left the counter, mapping out the directions in my head, hoping my therapist here can help just like the one back at home.

* * *

**Slappy**

* * *

"_This all your fault, you dummy!" the Lord High Executioner declared, glazing down at me, gripping his axe tightly in his hand. "You let Stine suck us all in. Not only that, but Hannah managed to get free!"_

"_My fault?!" I cried. "It's not MY fault that we're trapped in this damn book!" I argued. "And it's NOT my FAULT that Hannah escaped from me before we can even kill her!"_

"_We?" Professor Shock questioned in a disgusted tone. "What do you mean we? You made us all do the dirty work, dummy!"_

"_Stop calling me that!" I covered my wooden ears. "I couldn't do it alone. I need you guys to get rid of papa-"_

"_Why do you keep calling him papa?" the Haunted Mask sneered, walking up to me, putting her hands on her hips. She didn't give me a chance to answer. "Why do YOU get to call him papa?"_

"_Hey, the Sadler ghosts calls him dad and so did the Boy!" I tried to defend myself, backing two inches away from her. "Even Hannah gets to call him dad, too. So...I'm not the only one." Of course, they kept glaring at me, their eyes turning...red._

"_He betrayed you, and you did the same thing to US," Madam Doom accused. "Just like Shock said, you made ALL of us do the dirty work!"_

"_Yeah, now we're trapped in a book," Louisa added. She then smiled. Only it wasn't that friendly smile she gave me when I released her and her siblings out. "But hey, at least it ALMOST looks SIMILAR to the OTHER world."_

"_...I don't know how to respond to that..." I mumbled._

"_Of course you wouldn't, you stupid dummy," one of the Creeps hissed, his tongue flicking out of his mouth._

"_STOP CALLING ME THAT D WORD!" I screamed out desperately, not wanting to hear it anymore._

"_What D word? Dummy?" Cronby taunted._

_I snarled at him and went to open my mouth when Murder the Clown let out an insane laugh._

"_Why do you get SO offended when someone calls you that word?" he giggled. "You ARE a dummy!" he proclaimed with another insane laugh. "You even betrayed us!"_

_Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage blared their eyes at me. Dr. Maniac pointed a finger in an angry manner. "You were supposed to make that hazel eyed girl sick, but you didn't!"_

"_And that makes ME very, very, very..." Purple Rage's face turned an angry purple, henced on why he got his name._ _**"...ANGRY!"**_ _he exploded._

"_It's not my fault that I failed! At least I end up BITING her and left words on her, before papa kept her safe from me! Why are you friends blaming me on our failed attempt to get rid of him? It's not MY fault!"_

"_Yes, it IS your fault!" Muglani tormented. "And you made us ALL look like complete fools!"_

"_You betrayed us," Madam Doom repeated her harsh words at me._

"_I..." I took a deep breath, filling up my non-existing lungs up with air. __**"DIDN'T BETRAY YOU!" **__The words burst out of my mouth, scratching the inside of my throat, just like normal humans would have when they get the flu or a horrible cold. "Really, I didn't," I insisted._

"_He's lying!" the Snake Lady exclaimed._

"_Let's tear him apart!" Nila Rahmad clenched her fist._

"_And rip him from limb to limb!" The Lord High Executioner lifted his axe, and swung it at me._

"_Ah!" I teleport to avoid the blow from his weapon. I started running, my formal shoes kicking debris behind me, wanting to get away from my... the words didn't come to my mind. I jumped from each chapter to the next chapter. I know I told papa that being inside a manuscript, you can't even move, but the truth is...you can unless you go from one chapter to the next. So I...kinda lied to that part as I watched Blobby consume him. However... I was right about with the word of being trapped._

"_I got get out of here!" I gasped, not stopping to take a break, hearing the others go after me. "Go find a place and hide until this all over," I instructed myself. I ran faster, and I felt like I was flying. This is all papa's fault! Since I didn't get a chance to kill him, I tried doing the same with Hannah who had replaced me because she's so nice and friendly, who doesn't scare away papa's bullies away nor play any pranks._

_I stopped when I got to the old amusement park that is similar to the real world outside of the manuscript._

_Turning my head all the way around, I spotted a candy shack not too far from me. Quickly as I could, I matched my body with my head, scurrying over to the old, wooden shack before teleporting into it._

_Breathing deeply from all that running, I opened the riggedy door just a bit. I almost gasped when I saw the werewolf that I use to track Hannah down with her scent..._

_Scent! Oh, no! The werewolf can smell my scent! I gotta hide somewhere else before he-_

_The shack door got ripped off the weak hinges by the snarling werewolf, baring its sharp teeth at me, drool dripping down is chin, puddling the floor from between me and him._

_The werewolf got on all fours, prowling towards me as if I'm his prey..._

_I looked around, seeing if I can use something against this monster dog. Except there wasn't anything._

"_Back!" I commanded. "Bad boy, back!" The werewolf growled. "I said back!" I continued to command, feeling the panic rise in my chest. Why isn't he listening to my orders?! Hell, I was the one who got the silver chain off his neck from papa's favorite! "Get back!" I yelled._

_Snarling, the werewolf let out a deep bark and, before I even knew it, his furry hand grabbed my left leg, almost pulling it out of my wooden body as I was thrown back outside._

"_Ow!" I couldn't help but to let out a cry of pain when I landed on my back, hitting my wooden head on the ground._

"_There he is!" Sitting up, I saw them running at me like an angry mob, led by the Lord High Executioner. "Get him!" he declared in his deep voice. I heard growls, snarls, laughter, and all other sounds coming from...them._

"_Exterminate! Exterminate!" the Annihilator 3000s spoke in robotic voices._

"_Get the dummy, get the dummy," the lawn gnomes chanted, raising their tiny weapons._

_Fifi, who is the vampire poodle, barked, then let out a roar as her fangs grew longer, her eyes the color of...blood._

_I scrambled to stand up and went to run again when the plant vines slithered in front of my like snakes, the Venus fly traps snapping so close at me that their 'teeth' almost bit my face._

_Then the plant vines, along with Dr. Brewer's vines, wrapped around my midsection after I was forced the face forward._

"_No! Stay back!" I warned, struggling to get free, only to feel the vines tightened around me like a python would do before it consumes its victim... Like me. "Stay back!" I raised my voice and warned them again._

_They kept coming closer... and closer... ready to give me my 'punishment'._

_I couldn't help let out a scream as darkness swept in front of my eyes._

* * *

"Get away from me!" I flung the pillow across the study room, gasping for breath, trying to regain my composure that I always have, but... _fear _got the best of me. No. I shouldn't be afraid. I'm a monster. An evil monster who doesn't care for anybody but for himself, which is me, of course.

Once I calmed down, I slid out of the sleeping bag, wondering if my creator is awake.

I jumped to reach the doorknob, only to fail at it. So, being the smart one that I am, I teleported out that room right to my creator's bedroom with the door wide open. I walked in there, my shoes clomping on the floor, only to be muffled by a carpet beneath me.

I walked over to his bed, placing my wooden hands on the mattress, and stood on my tips of my shoes to discover that the bed is empty, actually.

My wooden brow raise up on my forehead. He left me and wants to keep ignoring me! He just wants to spend time with his favorite that I should've killed when I was in that new manuscript with my so-called 'friends'.

Growling in my throat, I stomped out of the room, passing by the other ones, when I suddenly felt strange that I had to stop right away when the house began to tilt and sway, like I'm on a boat out in the middle of the ocean.

Is this how Hazel feels when she sees me...? No, Slappy, do not feel _any _remorse, I told myself. Fine or bad, you can keep on moving. Come on, you're a monster, not a hero, I berated in my thought, getting my non-existing gut to keep on walking, fighting against the strange feeling, the walls on each side of me dancing around like drunken dancers.

It only lasted a few seconds. The weird sensation wore off and the house stopped moving oddly. But I still don't feel like myself. Is it caused by the scratches on my face? Or am I being crazy? Creations like me shouldn't have this...odd feeling. Only humans get this, not me.

Getting to the staircase, I used the wall for support, making my way carefully down the hall, afraid to get that feeling again... Ugh! Quit thinking that! I scolded myself in my thoughts, not wanting to say it out loud in case he's downstairs somewhere and not want to wake up his stupid daughter since Hazel is at a damn mental hospital. I mean, what kind of place is that?

Once I got down to the last step, I touched the floor, walking towards the kitchen to see if my creator is there. I don't think he wants me to call him papa ever again... The thought of it...made me want to cry...

But I narrowed my eyes, not wanting to show any weakness as I called out to my creator. "Stine." I used his actual name. "Stine," I called out again, kinda hoping he's in that room, my raspy voice coming out into a whisper. "Stine." When I got into the kitchen, he was nowhere to be found. Except for a piece of paper taped to the counter. "What's this?" I questioned, taking the paper after I jumped for it to see what it was. It was a note, I realized. Of course, I read it.

_I'm at work at the high school... _High school? He's over at the high school where my 'friends' wreaked havoc in that building and got a job? I rolled my eyes and continued reading the note. _And_ _I just wanted to let you know. Even Hannah is in high school and she's a student there now, too. I didn't tell her that I let you out... _Wow, good choice. Pretty soon when you two get home, she'll end up discovering that herself. I kept on reading the note. _Nor tell anyone else, either. Plus, when I get back, I'll make sure that Hannah goes over to Zach's house... _I rolled my again when he mentioned that kid who foiled my revenge, and finished reading the note since it wasn't a long one. _So we try to patch things up and try to heal the scars from our last relationship. Not only that, I want to check if you're going to apologize to Hazel, considering how stubborn you are... No offense._

_From, Stine_.

"Stubborn?!" I tore the note into shreds. "I am _not _stubborn Stine! And there is no 'we' in this relationship! I wanted to pull the strings!" I exclaimed, lucky enough that I'm the only one in the house.

I then teleported back to study room, going back into the sleeping bag, crawling into it to the point where I'm actually hiding. The truth is, I don't believe we're going to fix the scars in our 'relationship'. I don't want to feel remorse for what I did to Hazel, my creator, and everything else that I did from the past and the present.

You can say that I don't...want to feel that way because _all _monsters like myself are evil.

I couldn't help as green tears slid out of my eyes, not being able to control them. And it didn't help when I felt strange all over again, too. Inside the sleeping bag, I can feel the floor moving around that I had to clutch onto the fabric, even though I'm lying down on the floor, hoping the feeling will wear off soon like it did before...

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

By the time I got to Dr. Snyder's office, I knocked on the door.

"Come on in, Hazel," his voice invited, surprising me greatly, like he knew that I was coming over for my appointment. So I opened the door and saw him sitting on one of the leather chairs that is across from the other one that he pointed at. "Have a seat," he said in a relaxed voice. I obeyed and sat down on the other chair. "Heard that you are having mood swings like bipolar and are experiencing hallucinations like schizophrenia, and have a fear of being touched, correct?" he recorded.

"Correct, um..." I tried to think of what to say, except a question just came to me first. "How did you..?"

"All of us therapy doctors have been told yesterday," Dr. Snyder informed me. "Now...to start off...how do you feel now?" he asked, holding a clipboard in his hand, the pen in the other that is attached with a silver, link chain.

"Sad," I sighed, squirming in my seat. "Then I'll get mood swings like you mentioned. I keep hearing this voice in my head...telling me I should leave..."

"Do you want to leave?" he questioned further, interrupting me.

I was annoyed at that, but the mood quickly changed before I even knew it. "...no. I have to stay here until I get better again. My therapist back in Madison said that you guys _might _have a stronger medications for me to take because the last ones won't work. Then I got one that _started _to work... I almost smiled...until it stopped," I explained, dipping my head forward. "I...also end up cutting myself with a knife..."

"Why on earth would you do that?" I picked my head up to see a shock look on his face. "Were you trying to kill yourself?" he kept on questioning.

"No! I wasn't _trying _to kill myself," I protested greatly. I avoided his eyes, turning my head away from him so he wouldn't see the remorse on my face. "I've...been thinking about death a lot. Just like I told my therapist back home," I admitted, the remorse feeling growing at the pit of my stomach.

"Are you also here for suicidal watch, as well?" To answer his question, I nodded. "Do you see things that are not there?" I thought about it and shrugged my shoulders, not speaking as he continued talking. He asked question after question with me answering each one. "Well, I can put you on a combo on both treatments," he told me. "Also," he added, "there are other therapy sessions that I encourage you to try out. Start off with group therapy. Some have the same problems that you have."

Thinking about it, I agreed. "Sure, I'll go to that one next."

He smiled and nodded. He then got up and brought me two bottles of pills for each of my illnesses. "Take these tomorrow," he instructed.

Nodding my head, I took them. I wish I had pockets. But since I lacked any of them, I guess I have to carry them. I'll put them in the room and then I'll head to group therapy.

I got up from the chair and right before I left, I turned to him. "Thank you," I thanked, almost mumbling.

"You're welcome," he replied, getting things ready. Possibly for his next patient.

With a sigh, I made my way to the room that I sleep in, praying that this combo and the treatment would work.

Of course, I ended up bumping into someone. I felt both angry and humiliated for not watching where I was going since I had my head down while I was walking. I heard a chuckle not too far next to me. I gave that other person a stinging glare and he stopped, proceeding his way to somewhere. I then looked up to see who I walked into it. And my face turned hot red when I saw who it was.

"We _really _need to stop bumping into each other like this," Jackson joked, doing his best to light up the mood. It didn't help. "Are you okay?"

I gritted my teeth together, the redness getting warmer on my cheeks. "I'm fine," I clenched out, ignoring his offering hand, getting up off the floor on my own after I picked up my medications. "I was taking this to my- I mean our room. Dr. Snyder told me that I have to take these tomorrow, and then I'm going to group therapy."

"Group therapy?" I saw a surprise look in his eyes. "That's where' _I'm _going," he exclaimed, pointing at himself.

"That's...great?" I responded, raising my brows. He then chuckled. "What?" I asked disoriented, clearly not in a mood for laughter. Even though I never laughed. I don't remember when I stopped laughing... Probably after I lived and left my god family.

"Nothing. It's just...your face is all red again."

"So? It's because I bumped into you."

He gave me a smirk. But instead of that nasty type that Travis would send me, Jackson gave me a friendly one. "I don't know..." He winked his eye. "I'll see you in group therapy," he waved, walking past me, giving me that smile of his.

I watched him leave and continued on my way to our room. And by the time I got there, I set my medications on my dresser, still hoping that they would work.

I stood there for awhile, taking a quick glance at the window, turned, and walked out of the room, making my way to group therapy.

* * *

It wasn't hard to find the room that holds group therapy. Also, another reason why I knew it was the one is because Jackson saw me and smiled, pointing at a chair next to him that is across from Linda who had her arms crossed.

Sighing and trying not to show my blushing face, I sat next to him. Linda didn't seem to like that and spoke.

"I wish you'll end up sitting somewhere else," she said in a snobby tone.

"Um, excuse me, but you wanted to see me sometime later, right?" I said back. "Or did you end up lying to me when you said that?" I asked her, my mood swings going all over the place to the point where I don't know what I'm feeling now. I can't wait to start on my medication combo... "You know, I had so many frauds back when I was really little," I told her. "And that's what _you _are." I pointed at her.

She seemed to glare back at me, not responding back to my words. Instead, she just simultaneously scoffed, adding an eye roll to it. "Fine. Sit wherever you want."

I flinched and decided it was best to ignore her so her attitude can change or else she'll end up screaming in my face.

"Don't worry about her, Hazel," Jackson assured me. "She just found out that she won't get to go home until next year," he explained.

"But that's no excuse for her to act like that. Not only that, she just lied to me when she wants to see me sometime later," I answered, my eyes pointing down at the floor so my face doesn't turn that blushing red.

"She's not lying, she's just angry," he informed me. "If you want to, I can finish that tour around this place after we're done here."

I thought about it and nodded my head. "...sure." Then I just sat there, listening to why our group is here at this place. A couple of them are like me, others are here because they've been abused back at home and have nowhere else to turn, so they decided it was a good idea to come here so they can heal their emotional scars that are inside of them. As for the rest, they only have a few to no friends at all to mental illnesses that they need help to cope with. I even found out that some have phobias that they need to conquer before they can be released. After they told their problems, I told my problems. But the more I talk about it, the more I feel remorse inside of me. I know I shouldn't feel this way, only... I can't help it. The tears tried to force out my eyes and I refuse to cry in front of these people. No need to start acting like a baby now...

When we were done, we left the room. Jackson stopped, giving me that kind smile. "Still thinking about having this tour finish?" There was humor in that voice, like he was trying to break the dullness out of me.

I looked towards him and nodded. "Alright, let's finish it, or else I'll end up being lost in this building..." I let out a sigh. "And I really like you," I muttered, my face getting warm by the hundredth time.

"What?" he questioned, stopping in his tracks, turning to me. "I'm sorry. It's just..." I waited for him to finish his sentence. "Did you say that you...like me?" he responded, his face filling up with total shock and surprised. "That's great!" he declared, throwing his arms around me into a tight hug. "I've been waiting for you to say that ever since I...bumped into you." He released me. "I've been wanting to tell you that I like you, too. But..." His silver eyes gleamed into mine. "...I never had the courage to tell you." His face brightened up. "Hey! Why don't I ask the person at the front desk if we-"

I turned around and began walking off to our room, changing my mind on finishing this tour. I was then stopped when he carefully spun me around.

"What's wrong? Don't you want me to take you out on a date?"

I stood silent for a moment. "Jackson, forget what I just said..."

Confused, he replied. "Forget what?"

"Forget what I said," I told him, feeling very sad.

"You just said that you like me... and I just wanted to see if I can take you out on a-"

"Forget about it," I cut him off.

"Come on," he encouraged, placing his hand on my shoulder as if he doesn't want me to leave. "A date with me would make you feel better."

I took his hand off of me. "Listen," I began clearly. "Forget what those words that I just said to you. I wasn't thinking straight. I don't think a... date would make me feel better. I have enough people in my life now." I placed my hand on his chest, my hazel eyes locked into his own. "I'm sorry, Jackson, but... I'm not ready to have a...relationship yet. I end up quitting school back when I was five. None of the boys called me pretty..."

"That's because they don't know what a relationship is!" he proclaimed. "Please, Hazel," he begged, taking both my hands into his own, gently squeezing them. "Just let me take you out to eat." His face filled up with anger. "Or do you want my depression to get even more worse?"

My eyes widen with shock. This is the first time he got mad at me. "You're on _medication!_" I raised my voice. "I'm not making your depression worse!"

"Then why did you say 'I really like you'?" He too, raised his voice at me, throwing my hands away from him.

"I wasn't thinking straight!" I was getting agitated by each second. I can feel people stare at us. "It just came out of nowhere! I never meant to say that! I don't _want _to be your girlfriend just yet!" I threw my hands in the air. "You know what? I wish I never saw you! I wish I never ran into you!"

"Are you saying that you don't want me to be your friend!?" he argued. "Well, that's fine by me, considering that you hate me like my ex!"

"No! I don't hate you. I-" I stopped. "_Ugh!"_ Jackson backed away from me as I let out a scream and pulled my hair, ripping out a few strands out of my scalp. I cast a glare, but that glare turned into sorrow.

Then without anything else to say, I made my way to the bathroom that is not too far from us.

"You only have until five." I stopped at the bathroom door to see a large man. "You got five minutes," he repeated, gesturing his hand at the bathroom. "If you don't come out of that bathroom, I'll have the nurse come and check on you," he told me.

"...I won't be long..." I pushed the door open.

Inside the bathroom, I sat down at the corner, letting the tears out. Now Jackson hates me... No, he _despised _me. He's not going to feel any remorse just like those kids back at school. Even my god family never had that feeling when I'm around them.

When all the tears seemed to be out of my eyes, I stood up, making my way over to the sink. I turned the faucet on, splashing cold water onto my face.

_Nice going_.

"Huh?" I stopped what I was doing. At first I thought it was the voice inside my head.

_I said, nice going_. Looking up slowly, I almost screamed when my reflection grinned at me. I backed away, to see if it would copy my move like all reflections do. However, it stayed where it was at. _What? _the reflection said. _Never talked into your OWN reflection? _it asked, referring to what I was now seeing. _Seems like that boy hates you now_.

My eyes narrowed as I began throwing my thoughts at my own self that is in the mirror. I don't think so...

_You don't think so? Oh please, Hazel. Think about it. He's only being nice to you because he feels bad for you_. My reflection blinked at me when I didn't do it at all. _Everybody feels bad for you, girl. Even that writer who brought you here into this insane asylum..._

It's a mental hospital, I corrected in my mind, sending it to that reflection.

_Don't correct me, _the reflection snapped aggressively. _You're alone here, _she accused, pointing at me.

I made angry eyes, facing away from the mirror. No, I'm not... I got friends back at home... And they're not using me...

The reflection scoffed. _Using you? You never had friends in your life. The people that you are with now feel bad for you since you told that lie to that ugly girl._

Don't call Hannah ugly, I defended, still talking to it in my mind. She's a very nice girl and I see her as a sister. She cares for me along with everyone else.

_She doesn't care for you. But you didn't listen to that dummy nor that Boy. You'll NEVER get out of here. That medication won't work and you'll be stuck here forever_. She paused and began thinking. _You shouldn't be ALIVE at all_. I walked away from my own self, who continued throwing harsh words at me. _You'll be stuck in this hell for the rest of your life. You'll never get out of here. People like you never get to leave. And if they do, they end up coming BACK! You're a total mess up, Hazel. You're nothing! Your story of getting beaten by your god parents is a total lie!_

What makes you think I was lying? Why would you think I make something up like that? It's all true! I was bruised everyday ever since I lived with my god parents before I ran away.

_Oh really? Then what happened to them?_

Happen to what?

I felt her eyes burning behind my back. _Bruises. Duh. What happened to them?_

Gee... I don't know, I returned sarcastically. Maybe they end up getting _healed!_ I shouted in my head, tossing it at the reflection. And so would my cuts on my arms, I added in as well, not facing the mirror.

_Aw, you cut yourself? _the reflection mocked in fake concern. _Have you been thinking about death? Or are you afraid that so-called 'dream' of Travis will end up coming true._

I slowly faced the mirror with an aggressive look, going back over to it. Don't you ever bring him up...

_Why not? _The grin grew wider. Suddenly, the reflection reached out, grabbing me by the back of my shirt, lifting me up onto my tip toes. I struggled to breathe as the front part of my shirt was lifted towards my throat. _Don't you miss him? Don't you miss Travis? _Through my struggling, I saw my reflection's grin grew wider and wider to the point where the skin on the cheeks began to rip and tear, showing more teeth than the average human would have, turning into sharp ones, showing three rows like a great shark would have in its mouth. _I bet he misses you, Hazel. Someday you'll end up meeting him._

I...don't...want...to... _meet him_, I choked out a breath, forcing the image to release me. Just leave me alone, I begged.

_I'm not going to leave you alone. I'll be with you and talking to you every time you look into a mirror. People like you are complete idiots! You're going to end up here for the rest-_

"Shut up!" I cried out loud, slamming my hands on the counter, leaning towards the glass. "You're not _real!_ You're just an image of my own self!" I pointed. "I'm going to take those medications and beat you!"

_Medications? You're on more than one?_

"Yes," I seethed through my gritted teeth. "It's a combo. I can't take it until tomorrow. I'm hoping that they'll work."

The reflection stretched her smile so wide that the corners of her mouth touched her ears. _You think you can stop me like you did with those monsters? Do you? Try to stop me_, the reflection provoked. _Jump in and fight me! _she challenged, pressing her hands on the glass. _Come on! You want to fight with me? Huh? Do you?! You are a coward. A stupid-_

I slammed my forehead on the mirror, causing it to break into millions of cracks instead of shattering onto the counter. Something wet and warm dripped into the sink that is the color of red. I raised my hand to my forehead, finding where it was coming from. To my shear horror, my forehead was spilling out blood, running down my nose and on my cheeks. I pressed it and regret in right away when pain shot down my whole body. I tore some paper towels when I began to feel sick to my stomach. Was it the sight of blood? Or is this my bipolar going to anxiety? I can't tell.

In a weak state, I lifted my head to see a million of my reflections grinning at me. I formed an angry expression and pointed.

"You... You're a _monster_, too!" It came out weak and slow, not affecting the images at all, giving me that sadistic smile... "I command you to be gone!" I ordered, trying to act tough. It would've happened, except the nausea began to get worse by the minute.

_Getting...sick? _I growled as the million of my reflections broke the long silence between us, speaking in echoes. _Wow! I didn't know you have a hard head, _they expressed evilly, speaking all at once. The reflections began snickering until it was full blown laughter. They seem to surround me, making me cover my ears with my hands, one of them covered in blood from the cut on my forehead.

_**"STOP!" **_I let out a raging cry. "Stop laughing at me." I placed my hands on my head. "Do you realize that you are _torturing _me?" I said, beginning to get extremely upset from this experience that I am now in, the laughter growing louder by each second.

I clenched my eyes shut, straining them, grabbing my hair in my hands. _Hahaha! Look at you. You're a coward_. The reflection pulled itself out of the glass with that very wide grin on her face getting much bigger as more of the skin along with the muscles kept tearing away, the tongue slithering like a snake that ended up turning black. _Most people never make it out...alive_, my own self said, jumping off the counter. _Most people can't STAND being here and go insane to the point where they end up killing themselves_. My reflection walked towards me with me backing away until my back hit the wall. _I bet you want to do that, too_, the reflection mused with a creepy sneer.

My teeth were clashing so hard together, I was almost afraid that I'll end up breaking them off my gums. I opened my mouth only to start gagging when my reflection put her hand on my throat, lifting me off the floor with such strength that _I _don't even have.

_Do you want to kill yourself? _she snarled in a deep voice that was not my own. _You can stand up to monsters, you stood up against Slappy... well, sorta. But... YOU'LL NEVER GET RID OF ME!_

"Let go..." I struggled against the choking sensation and screamed in agony when the fingers squeezed tighter around my neck. "Let go!" The words cleared out when I forced them out of my mouth.

_Fine_, the reflection said with a simple shrug before throwing me down on the floor. I let out a painful induced cry as my head hit the tiled floor.

While I laid on the floor, I shakely lifted my head only an inch. "I hope I'll never see you again..."

_Don't worry, you'll will someday_. _That medication MIGHT help with some of your symptoms, but... _A snicker slipped out of the reflections lips. _I'll be back. Someday._

"You're...not real," I repeated. "What do you mean that you'll come back someday? You're just part of a schizophrenic illness, just like the voice or voices that I keep hearing."

_Don't worry_, the reflection fakely assured me. _You'll find out why I said that_.

I opened my mouth to give myself a piece of my mind when it vanished before my eyes. Weird... Why did it do that...? No answers came to me. I slowly picked myself off the floor, only to feel a sudden dizziness. I slowly walked, using the wall for support, carefully making my way out of the bathroom.

I was only inches away from the door when I felt a splitting headache erupt my entire head, making the walls and floor tilt and sway. I didn't want to stop. I pressed on, seeing if I can find someone to ask where the nurse is so I know how bad my cut is. I don't want to end up passing out since I'm in a new place.

I grunted when the headache got worse. And just as I continued to move on, the same guy saw me and came up to me.

"What happened to you...?" he asked. His eyes widen after he observed my forehead and the red substance. "Oh, my God! Did you... Did you cut yourself?" he exclaimed in shock.

"No, I just painted my forehead red," I corrected sarcastically. "Yes, I cut myself!" I said, changing my sarcastic voice into a annoyed one. God! It's not hard to tell if someone is bleeding! People these days. "Just direct me to the nurse's office." And hurry up before I faint... "I need to get there so she can see how bad it is," I responded with a flip of my hand.

"Do you need any help?" he offered. "You're all pale," he observed. "Why don't you sit down and I'll get the nurse," he suggested. "I don't think you'll make it by her office," he reasoned with me.

"I... I can manage..." I groaned, feeling the sickness in my stomach getting more rough.

"Sit down." I flinched when he firmly, but gently, pushed me onto the floor, forcing me to sit down. "Stay there and do not move," he instructed me.

I rolled my eyes. "If you insist..."

"And put your head between your knees," he added, slightly jogging to get a nurse.

I did I what I was told, placing my head between my knees. It helped a little. The only problem is my painful headache.

"It's from smacking my forehead too hard on my creepy reflection," I told myself, thinking the positive side... Only...I don't have that kind of side and end up thinking negative instead. "I can't wait for tomorrow to start my combo…" I sighed, closing my eyes. The dizziness faded away when I heard high-heels clicking, my ears catching the sound of them. Carefully, I picked my head up just a bit, peaking my eyes out to see a lady wearing white, a washcloth in her hand.

"Let me see..." she spoke softly and gently, like I was a frightened child who got lost in the woods for two whole days. I lifted my head up, getting it straight. "I just want to see how bad it is," she assured me. She put the cloth delicately on my cut. As soon as she did that, I couldn't help but unintentionally flinch when I was met with the wet rag pressing against my forehead. She kept it in place for just a second with me squeezing my eyes shut in pain. I want to shove her hand off, but I know she was just doing her job. "How did you cut your forehead?" she asked, taking the rag off me, studying my injury.

"I...ow... smacked my forehead on the bathroom mirror," I explained.

"Why? Did you trip and end up hitting your head on it?" She folded the rag, placing it back on my forehead again.

"Ow," I let out. "No," I replied. "I was...washing my hands..." No way that I'll tell her that I was crying. "...and my reflection was..._talking _to me."

"Your...reflection spoke to you?" she questioned.

I nodded my head and sucked in a breath when she took the rag off again. "And my reflection...started to change. And- Ow! Okay, stop placing that on my forehead."

"Sorry, I would but you just keep on bleeding," she said. "It looks like you need stitches..."

"What?! Stitches?!" I slightly panicked. "Are you saying that I have to go to the E.R.?"

"We have stuff here and room that you can go into," she told me. "I would give you a bandaid, only..." She cleaned my face when she took out a new rag out of her pocket. "Your cut is really bad."

I stood up. "I don't want stitches..." I started walking off when I was pulled back. "I don't want stitches!" I snapped in an angry and pain induced tone.

"Hazel, if you don't get them, your cut will get infected." I pushed her hand off my shoulder. "You have to," she insisted, trying to reason with me.

I snatched the rag out of her hand, taking it. "I don't want stitches," I hissed through gritted teeth.

"Yes, you do." I turned around and began heading to me and Jackson's room. "Wait! Hazel, come back," I heard her call behind me. I just ignored her. My only plan was to get to my room and rest before I do any other therapy sessions and before dinner starts.

As I got to my room, I saw Jackson going through my books and he didn't look towards me until I approached him.

"Hey," he said softly, then squinted his eyes at me. Great, he's still mad at me. At least, I thought he was until he pointed at the rag that I just put on my forehead. "Why do you have a rag there?"

"I cut myself..." I mumbled.

"Really? Let me see." Still upset at him for getting angry at me, I merely took the washcloth off my forehead. "Oooh, and got a good one there," he commented, examining it. "How did you cut yourself?" he asked.

"I...smash it on the bathroom mirror..." I lowered my head. "It's no big deal. Except a nurse wants me to get stitches... And I refused."

"How come?"

I lifted my head, trying my best to not look into his silver eyes, only to fail miserably. "...I never had stitches," I answered glumly, sitting down on my bed, placing the rag back on my forehead. "I'll just let it heal on its own," I decided, thinking it was the best option.

Jackson clicked his tongue with a shake of his head. "Not a good idea, Hazel," he replied, scratching his head. "I know I'm not a doctor but... cuts, serious cuts, can make you get a high fever and cause you to get sick," he cautioned. Hm... Maybe he should _become _a doctor... "And if you do..." He hung his head. "...I might never see you again."

At first I was confused when he said that last sentence to me before I figured it out.

"Wait..." I realized, shifting on my bed. "Are you saying that...you're...not mad at me? After we had our argument?"

"Hey, it was my fault for getting mad when you don't want to go out with me, thinking a date would make you feel better. Although..." He sat down next to me. "I just have _one _question."

"What?"

"Do you still like me?" His question got me off guard. "I'm just wondering," he explained. "If you do, maybe we can go out on a date someday?" He grinned awkwardly, presenting his hand towards me. "Do you want to go out on a date someday?"

Even though I said that I liked him without thinking straight, I answered. "Someday. When I'm ready that is." I looked away sadly. "However... I can't tell if a...boy likes me," I said, my face turning that bright red, getting all warm. "Since I stopped going to school... I avoided people of my age when I go out and do chores for other people to earn money because I used to live by myself, so I never had any...experience around boys. Except for Zach and Champ, and they have girlfriends now."

"Are you jealous?" When he asked that, I turned my head to him. "Are you one of those...jealous type of girls?"

"No," I shook my head. "I'm not." I took the rag off my forehead, only to feel the red liquid just keeps on bleeding out. I let out an annoyed groan when I can't control my injury, and just as I was about to put the rag back on, he took it out of my hand. He looked at my cut, gently poking at it, having me flinch a little. "Ow. Don't poke at it," I seethed with a hiss.

"Sorry... Looks like you got a hard forehead." He started to chuckle and quickly stopped when I gave him a disapproving look with my eyelids halfway down. "Sorry," he repeated. I rolled my eyes. "But you do need to get that injury fixed..."

I let out a breath out of my mouth. "Do I have a choice?" I didn't mean to say it with an attitude, it just came out that way. Instead of waiting for his response, I slumped my shoulders in defeat. "Okay, I'll get them. Let's just hope I don't get _ten _stitches," I declared, being slightly dramatic if not at all.

Jackson smiled. "I don't think you need _that _many," he assured me. "Here, I'll go with you." He gave me the rag back, standing back, getting up from my bed.

I began to think about it. No matter how much I didn't want to have it fixed, I believed he's right. If I end up getting sick because of a stupid, deep, bloody cut, I may not be on earth anymore. Plus, if I...well, you know, I won't see the people that I trust. Including Jackson.

Lightly placing the rag back on my cut, I agreed by just nodding my head. I got up from my bed, having him take me to where they fix patients injuries, just like mine.

This is not going to go well.

* * *

My prediction turned out to be right. Although my cut was pretty deep, it didn't need like ten stitches to close it up, so I was lucky enough to have three, but the beginning part was just awful. If you had to go get stitches, you know what they do first. Yeah... you can guess what the doctor gave me so I wouldn't...feel a thing. Did I scream when he injected the needle in my forehead that was filled with clear liquid? Quite frankly, yes. I almost punched him in the face when my bipolar mood went from nervous to aggression if Jackson hadn't come and pinned me back on the table. Don't blame me, I just couldn't help it. Everybody has different reactions to those types of injections. Some can handle it, while others can't. So if you end up screaming like I did... don't be ashamed. I bet if I was still living with my god parents at this age, and if I had a similar injury that I have now, Kelly would scream at me for being a coward and Jeff would take me to that room and give me my 'punishment.' As for Travis... he would end up calling me a big baby.

"You're such a scaredy-cat, Hazel," I imagine my god brother scoffed in a bully kind of way. "You're sixteen years old and _screamed _like a baby. Oh, boo-hoo-hoo," the imagined Travis faked out, sticking out lip to make his face look all pouty before bursting out laughing.

It's a good thing I'm away from those...creeps just like I mentioned from the start. I don't actually _want _to see them ever again for the rest of my life. Only... I couldn't get the dreams of Travis out of my head, still. It's hard to believe, but I have...strange feeling that he's gonna end up living across the street from Stine's house. Also, I did noted that Travis in the dreams that I had several times looks like he's in his early twenties, so I'm gonna guess twenty-one or twenty-two.

You can guess that I'm pretty good at figuring out people's ages which is bizarre in my opinion, just like how I mentioned that Hannah looks to be my age, which is sixteen. Even Zach and Champ, including Taylor are the exact same age as me. Even Jackson. Except he's almost seventeen and his birthday is literally in three weeks. Not only that, he wanted his birthday to be at his home and not in a mental hospital.

Want to know when my birthday is? July thirtieth. Basically, I'm a summer kid, one of those lucky people to have a birthday outside unless it doesn't rain on that special day. Now a lot of people of all kinds of ages would be...happy on their birthday. They get presents from friends and family, they have cake and ice cream and all sorts of food… And they get lots of attention...unlike me. I used to have birthday parts when I was with my biological parents from age one to five. In fact, during my fifth birthday, that's when I got my _Goosebumps _books. I was...happy, joyed, and was just...smiling. But ever since my parents died in that car crash, and when I started living with my god family, things went bad because of my childish mind, thinking that living with them would be fun and great, just like I told Hannah back in Horrorland in _Vampire Village_ when she found me and promised she won't judge me...like a real friend would do. And she didn't break that promise. She didn't betray me nor her father nor my other two new friends unlike the kids back in kindergarten who would tease and bully me, judging the things I like.

There had been times where I want to...stand up for myself. Just like I did before I ran away from both school and home. Living with my god family was hell and going to school was hell before I ended up quitting.

Before I ended living on my own and before I ended up living with Stine and his daughter, whenever I get screamed at, beatened, or get tortured, I would try and stand up to my god parents, telling them how I feel…

But when my five year old self would come into a certain room, Kelly would let her fume out before I can even get a word out, Travis would shove me or push me away, and as for Jeff. Well, he would be in kitchen or in the living room reading a newspaper, lifting his direction towards me, giving me his haunting stare that would leave me paralyzed with me staring back at him since his eyes would grab mine, that I would inch by inch go to my room to avoid any bruises and pain from his leather strap that he would always have in order to beat me with whenever I'm alone with him in case Kelly is out doing errands and when Travis is out with some friends. And when I don't leave to my room, he would quickly get up from the chair or couch, put the paper down and would send me a hard, stinging slap to my face or any part of my body in order for me to flee to my room. So I stopped trying to stand up for myself and let them...do bad things to me. Especially Jeff who would continue to hurt me until he tired himself out after he 'punishes' me. And whatever room I'm in such as my bedroom, the living room, kitchen, he would startle me and hit me over and over with his weapon. Hell, I was even beaten _outside_ in the backyard when Travis messed up the flower bed that Kelly worked on during the summer before I started school, and told his damn father that _I _was the one who did it. And boy did I get hurt badly from that. Jeff had aggressively pulled me to the ground where I would be laying on my side and just...hit me. I would scream and cry, begging him to listen to me, only to get a bad result from him.

During that time, I was outside with my body thumping in agony, tears pouring out of my eyes. It only took me until dinner time until I was able to move again. And when I enter the kitchen, my god brother would give me that signature smirk at me, as if he was pleased at what he did.

Instead of eating at the table, I'll just take my food upstairs to my room...eating...tears rolling down my cheeks, stuffing food into my mouth, chewing slowly. At least they never starve me… But that's no excuse for what these people had done to me.

Now I'm walking towards the door once I received my stitches, the black threads that closed my wound, making my forehead itch like mad.

"Don't scratch or pick at them," the doctor told me even before me and Jackson left the room. "If you do, you'll end up ripping them off and you'll have to get them replaced," he warned in a cautious manner after he put his tools away. This isn't going to be easy for me to do... "And come back in four or five weeks once you're completely healed and I'll take them off," he completed with a happy grin.

I formed a frown. "If I'm here that long..." I responded, hoping that will not be the case. I'll take them off myself... It can't be that hard... "Thank you," I thanked, fighting against the itchiness.

"Wasn't that bad, right?"

I rolled my eyes a little when the doctor said that. Nothingless, I just sent him a shrug. All doctors say that to every patient...it's their job to make them look...comfortable. "Yeah... wasn't that bad..." It was horrible! Dammit, my forehead feels like it's burning! How can people possibly live with frickin stitches sewed on them?! I'm trying not to scratch it but... I don't want to ruin them... I looked back at the doctor. "What if I leave before four or five weeks?" I said. "What do I do then?" I asked, my saddened state creeping up on me.

"If you have a parent or guardian, they can take them off," he answered. I'm not sure if I see Stine as a guardian...or a father figure towards me, even though he admitted that he sees me as another daughter...

When I thought about it, I should tell him how I feel about him... He did protected me, just like all dads do to their children, including their wives. It's like...they're the alpha in the group. Moms feed the kids, and the dads keep them safe. And if the dads are out working or doing anything else, it switches towards the moms. If both parents are out, they hire a babysitter. It's like...a pack of wolves... Sigh. Stine is like a...dad to me... just like how I see Hannah as my...sister. Actually, I don't when her birthday is nor if she's older or younger then me. Then I remember the month when her...book was released. August... She's actually...younger than me... even though she encouraged me to tell her me story like most _older _siblings do and comfort them when they needed. Hey, they never say that younger siblings can't do the same thing, right? I was born in July, making me a month older than her since she was 'created' back in August.

Maybe Stine can adopt me...? I thought. And if he did end up doing that... I don't know how I'll feel... Great? I'm not sure, to be honest, frankly. How can I feel great if I can't...smile? I know I _almost _smiled until that last medication instantly stopped working.

With me feeling the threads on my forehead, I replied. "Okay. Good." I looked up Jackson. "Let's go to our next therapy session." I paused. "What is our next therapy session?" I then asked.

He sent me a smile, adding his happy face with happy eyebrows. "Art therapy," he beamed his answer. "It's my favorite." You're favorite, huh... "It's like...the best one of all time..." Really? Best one of all time? "People get paint and do _all _kinds of arts and crafts," he grinned as I raised a brow, thinking that kind of therapy sounds... "I know it's kinda childish..." Kinda childish...? "But you are never too old to unleash your imagination." Never too old to unleash your imagination... "I made a lot of art paintings ever since I first came here and there like the best ones," he boasted, putting his hand on his chest in a proud manner before noticing my expression. "Oh..." He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't mean to...brag about it," he said apologetically, his cheeks turning bright pink. "I just get so...happy whenever I finish a painting or something." Happy... "And I bet it'll have the same effect on you," he predicted. "Actually..." He tapped his chin. "Do you like arts and crafts?" he asked.

"I used to love it back when I was in school," I told him. "But a lot of my classmates would either steal my 'masterpiece' and claim to the art teacher that _they _made it, leaving my art teacher to believe them." I snorted out of my nose. "They even got me in trouble by spilling paint all over the art table and I have to stay behind and clean it up!" Jackson jumped back when I yelled out a little. "Come on, let's go to...art therapy." Hope I still have my...artistic skills. I haven't painted or crafted anything in years. "And don't be too hopeful on your prediction," I added with warning.

"Why?" he responded.

"Just don't," I simply answered back.

We then left the room to go to art therapy, with Jackson leading the way. And during that time, I wanted to scratch my forehead. So when I try to do that, I'll hear the doctor's warning, making me stop right away.

It wasn't easy to cope with. Man, I was so _stupid _for smashing my head on that bathroom mirror! It's all my reflection's fault!

"Remember, don't scratch the stitches," Jackson reminded me, as if I didn't remember having them.

"...I'll try not to," I grumbled, feeling the weird sensation. It felt like needles for God sake! Pretty soon I'm going to end up going _crazy_. It's hadn't been ten minutes and I'm battling myself to not touch them or pick at them. "If I have the urge to scratch at them, stop me."

"That's cool with me." He then sighed a little. "Is it okay for me to ask you a...personal question?" He waited for my answer, so I allowed him to ask his question by nodding my head. "How come you never smiled?" My eyes widen and he caught my reaction. "What?" he questioned. "Was that too much to ask?"

"No... No. It's just that... um..." I stammered. "You just surprised me... that's all." He raised a brow in confusion. "One of my friends asked me the same question," I explained in order for him to understand. "He asked me why he never saw me... smile. I believed it was because I was traumatized during the time when I started living with my god family before I left them." I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not sure if they even remember me..." I murmured. "Hell, if they do, they probably would end up taking me back and punish me for good for running away," I scoffed. "I'm going to head to the bathroom in case the doctor missed blood stains on my forehead. I'll find the art therapy room or area," I said, before walking towards the nearest bathroom.

I heard Jackson reply with, "Okay, I'll be waiting for ya."

You don't have to wait for me... I thought.

Entering the bathroom, I went over to the sink, checking my forehead to where the stitches are at. There was no blood, which tells me that the doctor did a great job of cleaning the red crimson off my skin. The stitches were an inch or two away from the hairline, and the spot is red and swollen. The swelling isn't too bad. Nothingless, it'll go down as my forehead is healing. I'm just so lucky to have three threads close it up. And since stitches can be painful, the one spot felt like it's on fire. So I turned on the sink, making sure it was icy cold, splashing it on my forehead with me sighing with relief, feeling the burning sensation go down, even though it's not going to last very long. I should go see if a nurse as an ice pack I can use, I thought. I grabbed some papers, and gently dried up my forehead, lifting my head up slowly, taking the paper towels off me, placing my hand on the mirror, giving myself a sour look.

"Why can't you ever smile?" I asked myself out loud since no one else is in the bathroom but the reflection of myself in front of me. "You got friends, you defeated the monsters and Slappy, Stine took you in, and you _still _can't smile. Not only that, you're battling those mood swings that keep coming on. First you're sad, then you're mad, it's just..." I clenched my eyes shut, smacking the mirror with my hand in frustration, feeling the glass vibrate. I glared at my reflection, hating myself. "_Tell me!" _I screamed, still talking to my own self. "_What else do I need to get me to be happy again?" _My chest heaved with heavy breaths, gritting my teeth tightly together. "Damn..." I cursed.

_Watch your mouth! _I let out a short cry when my reflection spoke, grinning that creepy grin, the teeth getting sharp and pointed. The reflection's eyes stopped at the stitches. _Aw, what happened, Hazel? _she asked, acting as if she cared. _Sorry that I have to...come back of all a sudden. But I do have one quest for ya..._

"What kind of quest?" I questioned, not keeping the words into my head, speaking out loud. "And it _better _be something good," I added, speaking through clenched teeth.

_Oh, it's a good one, alright_, she sneered, locking her eyes on me. _Remember the cuts on your arms that you gave yourself? You know. On your arms? _she reminded. _The quest is that you need to go into the kitchen, and look for any small, sharp knives, and then- _She made a slicing motion on her left wrist. _-cut to where your pulse is. And when you're gone... I'LL take your place._ She began laughing with me standing there in confusion before narrowing my eyes.

"That's my quest!?" I finally exclaimed. "To _kill _myself!? And what do you mean by 'taking my place'? No way in _hell _would I do a thing like that!"

The reflection shot me with a piercing stare. _Fine by me... I'll just have to find ANOTHER way to get rid of you..._ She pointed a finger at me. _Hazel... _After that last word, the creepy image of myself went back to normal, looking like my old...self.

"Why did my reflection say that to me?" I scratched my head and wondered. "Why on _earth _would I do a thing like that? And what did my reflection mean by 'taking my place?'," I wondered, then shook my head. "Forget what that thing said to you, Hazel. That reflection is just being...a fraud to me. I shouldn't listen to it, at all. It's all part of my illness... And my forehead is burning again." Turning the faucet on again and letting cold water run out of it, I splashed it on my forehead, cooling that area down again. "After art therapy, I should go to the nurse and ask her for an ice pack," I said, making a note of if.

At least I didn't smack my head on another mirror...

Turning the water off, I let some drops of water fall in the sink. The stitches itch like hell, almost as if they're torturing me. I wanted to scratch them so badly, but I shook my head, telling myself not to.

"It's only for four or five weeks," I assured. "Not only that, you'll get out of this place soon," I promised myself.

Did that help at all? Well... you know the answer. Even assuring myself won't make me...happy. I just wanted to know why I can't do it. I mean, that last medication almost made me smile again, only to fail miserably. God... What else do I need? A boyfriend? No, no. A boyfriend won't help, but... I let out a sigh. Maybe I should go out on a date with Jackson. Only he has to ask me again since I declined the first time. This time when he asks me out, I'll just say yes and see what it's like. I have never been on a date in my life whatsoever, so...it _might _make me...smile this time.

Walking out of the bathroom, I looked for the art therapy room or area. Jackson told me he'll be waiting for me. That name made my cheeks turn red. Not by anger, by... I don't even know the answer since I never experienced this feeling before. I have other feelings despite my sudden mood swings... except for being... happy.

While I searched for him, I heard him call out to me.

"Hey, hey, over here." He waved his hand and I walked up to him. "What took you so long?" he asked, standing at the door that is closed. "Art therapy is almost about to start. Come on." He didn't give me a chance to answer since he literally pulled me into the room. He then looked at my forehead. "Why is your forehead all moist? Are you nervous?"

"N-No, I'm not nervous. I just splashed cold water on my stitches to cool them off," I told him. I stopped for just a second, looking around as if I didn't want anyone else to hear this. "And the reason why I was in there for so long is that..."

Jackson waited patiently, and encouraged to say what I have in mind. "Go on."

I stared down at the floor, avoiding his gorgeous eyes. "My reflection...spoke to me...in the bathroom. It looked like me, only creepier. It said bad things to me. It even told me to...commit suicide so she can take my place..."

"What does _that_ mean?"

I gave him an annoyed look for interrupting me. "I don't know _what _it means," I answered. "All I know is that my _creepy _image of myself is a total liar, and that's all I'm going to say." I'm not going to tell him that my image told me that she'll have to find another way to get rid of me. I don't want him to get...overprotective like Stine did to his daughter before she had her freedom.

"I'm glad that you decided not to do that," Jackson said, agreeing with me. "Besides, some people will think it's better off if they're not living anymore," he added.

I nodded. "Those people were stupid to do that..."

"They're not stupid, they just don't think straight." I ignored his defense, going over to one of easels that had something on it. I don't remember what it's called, but it's for people to paint on and for you to 'release your imagination'. I also saw paints and brushes.

Right before I picked one up, the therapist came forward. "Welcome to art therapy, dear," she welcomed, giving out a bright smile. "I don't think I have seen you before..." she mentioned, studying me with her eyes, looking up and down. "Are you new?" she asked.

What a stupid question to ask. I thought all of therapists know that I'm new here, is what I wanted to say. However, if I say that, I'll get in trouble for it and gave her this answer instead. "Yes, I am."

"Great! I'm Dr. Jones." Her eyes beamed with excitement and the sunlight seemed to make them twinkle, after she gave out her name to me. "You're gonna love art therapy. Jackson here..." She pointed at him. "...is the best artist ever. Just look at all those paintings and crafts that he made." She directed towards his paintings and all sorts of art stuff that he made. "Aren't they wonderful?" she gushed with astonishing look. Boy, another one of those happy and go lucky people. No offense by all means. Eh, I should be used to it now since Champ and Lorraine have the same personalities. Except Champ is more of a coward from time to time.

Before I can get to chance to think of anything else, she led me to where there's clay. "Do you want to make a pot or do you want to paint?"

I blinked, thinking about the two answers before making my decision. "...I'll paint."

"Great!" she repeated. "Just don't worry if you get paint on your clothes, okay?"

"Sure," I responded, going back to the easel that is next to Jackson's. "What are you going to paint this time?" I said.

He shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. It takes me a little bit to think of something," he explained, smiling. "What are you going to paint?" he repeated my question.

"Just like what you said..." I shrugged. "It'll take me sometime to figure out what I want to paint." Picking up my brush, which is the small one, I dipped it in one of the first paint jars. I hope I have my artistic skills... I placed the brush on the canvas... Canvas. That's what this thing is called on the easel. How can I ever forget? I guess it's because I hadn't done anything...artsy in a long time.

"Aw no!" Just before I even made one stroke, I heard someone cry out, sounding very upset for some reason. "I just used the wrong color for the stem of my flower. The stem is suppose to be green, not red." I leaned back to see a girl who is a year younger than me, dropping her paintbrush that has the color red on the bristles. "What am I going to do?" she panicked, tugging at her curled hair with both hands. "Now I have to start over!" Tears were coming at the corners of her eyes.

Dr. Jones seem to notice and went up to her.

"What seems to be the problem?" she said.

The girl pointed. "I used the wrong color for the stem to paint a flower. Now I have to start all over."

"You don't have to start-"

"Yes I do!" I can tell that the girl was really upset. "Flower stems are supposed to be _green _not _red_."

"Hey." Dr. Jones got her attention. "Remember what we talked about? That nothing needs to be perfect? Well, that's the same with painting. It doesn't matter what colors you use. Here, I'll show you." She took her to another area and I switched my attention the canvas in front of me.

"Wow, I feel bad for her," I commented on what I just witnessed.

"I do, too," Jackson nodded, painting on his canvas. "Only we can't blame her."

I looked over my shoulder and watched the therapist talking to the girl, pointing out different paintings like trees with pink and purple leaves and the trunks being the color of blue. "Not to be rude or anything but… does she think that everything has to be the same and perfect?"

"That's right." Dipping his brush in the paint jar again, he left it there for a tad second before taking it out of the jar, which the color of bright blue. "She has very bad OCD." He swiped the brush on the canvas, making the top half blue. "To her, everything has to be just perfect and right for her everyday life." He then put his paintbrush in a cup of water, took it out, and used one of the paper towels to clean the brush off. "The reason why she's here is because not only she thinks everything has to be perfect, but she has very bad thoughts that make do things. Now I don't like rumors because not all of them are true." He put his paintbrush in the green paint, bringing it up to the canvas. "I heard with my own ears that her parents had to drag her here because they saw her put something in her mouth which turned out to be sewing needles."

I almost dropped my paintbrush and quickly gripped the handle of it. "She put sewing needles into her mouth?!" I almost shouted out loud, not wanting to draw attention towards us.

"Yes," he replied, looking around the room in case anyone was staring at us. They weren't. "That's the reason she's here because of those bad thoughts. She was lucky to not swallow those things."

"If she did, she could've died," I brought up. "So what was the first thing the doctors and employees did?"

"They 'purposely' messed up her room when she was having lunch, such as making a picture on the wall, like, in a slanting position, opened up all the dresser drawers at different lengths, and all that other stuff. It drives her crazy since she's not allowed to fix them up. They even messed up bathroom, too. It's hard for her not to fix anything up, and she's going to have to learn that nothing needs to be perfect. She even cleans a lot and doesn't like germs so don't be offended if she doesn't want to shake your hand. It wouldn't be a problem with you since you don't like physical contact." He almost smirked a friendly smirk. "Except when you offered your hand to me to help you off the floor and for me hugging you during last night. Also, that leads me to a question. Are you going to start having physical contact with other people?"

"Um..." I stopped painting midway to what I was creating. "I'm not sure yet. Maybe Dr. Snyder will do a session on that for my next appointment tomorrow."

"You can just start off with simple handshakes," he suggested.

"I'll think about it." I continued to paint.

"Is this therapy session wanting to make you smile?" I gave him a frown. "Oh, um, I guess not," he stammered with a slight chuckle. "Hey, you were right. I shouldn't be too hopeful on my prediction."

I merely rolled my eyes as I faced back on my painting. My cheeks kept turning red every time I look at him with the corners of my eyes. He seemed to notice, sending me that smile of his that is so cute, adding a chuckle here and there.

I tried not to look at him all the time, only I can't help myself to this...feeling that I keep having every time I'm with him. And I bet he has the same feeling that I'm having.

Sighing, I spoke. "Just to let you know, I do like you. I'm just not ready to go out and have a relationship you. So if you try to ask me out again and if I say no it means no."

"What if you said yes?"

"I'm not sure I'll say that word..." Even when I do say yes, I'm not sure a date will make me happy again. It'll be an...interesting experience, I should say.

"Are you sure that my painting doesn't have to be perfect?" I looked over my shoulder again when I heard the girl with OCD spoke, walking back to her canvas. Dr. Jones smiled, picking the paintbrush off the floor, handing it to her. "Alright..." The girl took the brush and went back to painting.

"What are we having for dinner?" I asked Jackson, breaking the silence that was between us.

"I'm not sure," he answered with a simple shrug. "I hope they have tacos. Spicy foods are my favorite. What about you, Hazel? Do you like spicy foods?"

I almost made a disgusted face when he asked me that. "No... Not really. Spicy food...blah! I can't _stand _any kind of food that burns your tongue and throat. It goes for all spices. Except for cinnamon. That's the _only _spice I like."

"Oh... I forgot that you told me that during lunch time." He chuckled a bit. "No worries. Everyone has their own different tastes when it comes to different food. I remember my mom gave me Brussel sprouts for dinner along with steak and corn," he recalled. "I like steak and corn. But I don't like Brussel sprouts. I mean, yuck." I turned my head to see that he stuck out his tongue when he mentioned that vegetable. "Who likes little cabbages that taste all...gross?"

I went back to my painting. "...some people do..."

"And there's another vegetable I never liked when I was a lad. A tomato." When he said that, my head turn towards him a tad slowly. "What?" he asked. "Do you like tomatoes? I didn't offend you, did I? If I did, I'm so sorry," he quickly apologized.

"No, I like tomatoes... But they're a fruit."

"Huh?"

"A tomato is a fruit," I repeated my correction.

"Really?" he responded with surprise. "I always heard that it's a vegetable."

"It's not." I shook my head. "It's a fruit, not a vegetable."

"Oh, um..." He pursed his lips together and grinned at me. "Thanks for correcting me," he smiled.

"You're welcome..." I sighed, focusing my eyes back on the painting, which is now becoming more difficult with him standing next to me. I'm not saying that to be mean since I'm not that kind of person. It's just that he's very cute and I really...like him. I think I have a...crush on him. Wow, my first crush. Plus... he likes me, too. So he also has a crush on me, as well. That's the feeling that I keep having. God, why didn't I realize that sooner? Mm, probably because I quit school all the way back in kindergarten, I thought.

By the time I finished my painting, I stared at it. I can't believe I painted this! Why did this picture came into my mind?

"Who's that painting of?" I almost yelped when I heard Dr. Jones behind me. "Is that a friend of yours?" she directed to the painting that I finished.

"Uh, no. It's Travis...my god brother..." I answered, not liking the painting at all. "I don't know why I painted that..."

"I know why." She gave me a smile. "It's because you miss him," she told me.

Miss him? Miss him?! You think I miss my cruel god brother that tortures me everyday?! I wanted to scream when my mood changed to anger until it went back to sadness. "Yeah..." I fibbed. "I do miss him..." Not really. "I hadn't seen him in years, and I want to see him again..." No way in hell will I end up seeing him, praying that those dreams won't come true.

"Well, it's very nice," she praised. "Alright, art therapy's over," she announced.

A lot of people let out unhappy sounds besides me and Jackson. For me, I just rolled my eyes. Besides, we get to come back tomorrow, so chill out.

By the time all of us walked out of the room, I stopped. "Where are we going next?"

"Music therapy. Only it's just a one on one session. I have to get there before I'm late. I'll ask Dr. Williams when he can see you. You just go on ahead to our room," he instructed lightly, walking backwards before turning around to face forward.

"Good luck..." I called out softly, not wanting to shout. "I'm going to the nurse first to get an ice pack to cool my forehead down since it's starting to burn again." I looked around, spotting the nurse's office, feeling relieved that I won't have to spend my day searching for it.

Walking over to it, I peaked at the window, seeing her on the computer. I knocked and she looked up and saw me. She smiled, gesturing her hand, telling me to come in.

"Yes?" she asked. "Oh, I see you got your stitches," she realized as soon as I came up to her. "Are they bothering you?" she said.

"Yeah..." The burning feeling got worse to the point where I want to go find a bathroom again so I can splash freezing water on it. "I just came here to see if you have an ice pack that I can use on my stitches." I stopped for a second. "Unless you have any that is."

"I do have ice packs for you to borrow." She got up from the chair, going to the back of the room. A few seconds later, she came back. "Here," she offered, "take this and you can bring it back to me whenever you're done with it."

I took the ice pack and thanked her before I left the nurse's office. She seems very nice... just like all nurses are.

Placing an ice pack on my stitches, I felt them cool down right away again from the cold compress. I didn't press hard on them, just firmly enough where it won't hurt or ruin the black threads as I walked to me and Jackson's room to rest before I start music therapy.

I'm not sure how well I'll do since I never played an instrument before. What if Dr. Williams yells at me for playing a wrong note? The thought of it made me feel very anxious about it. I should just skip that therapy session and stick to the ones that are more suitable for me. I don't want to be a bad player.

Once I got to the room, I went over to my bed, laying down on the mattress, covering myself up with a blanket.

Making sure the ice pack is placed on the right spot, I hugged the teddy bear with both arms, staring at the ceiling, thinking on when I can go home.

Sighing, I sat up and grabbed one of my _Goosebumps _books. _The Scarecrow Walks At Midnight_.

Opening to the first chapter, I began reading the book while I waited for Jackson to come and get me so he can take me to music therapy.

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

I grabbed my suitcase once my last class left the room. "Don't forget to read chapters one through ten on _The Hobbit_," I called out from down the hallway. I'm not sure if they heard me or not, and I know that all my classes do their homework. There had been times where one or two of my students would 'forget' to do their assignments. Was I disappointed? Yes. I was. So to make things fair, they'll just lose half of their grade. On my first day here, I let all of my classes loose for one day without giving them homework and warned them not to get used to it since the monster mayhem that we had months ago.

Walking down the hallway, I saw Zach with Hannah walking together and I approached them. "Hey, you two," I greeted. "Are you two heading to the study hall?" I asked.

"No, we're gonna do our homework in the library and catch up on studying," Hannah replied. "We don't always do it in that classroom. Plus it's quiet," she added. "Hey, dad, you know that _Spring Dance_ that's coming up?"

"Yeah," I responded, raising a brow.

"Well, Zach asked me to be his date to the dance." Hannah smiled, shuffling her right foot on the tiled floor. "Can he, dad? I have never been to a high school dance. And the one I saw before doesn't really...count since we had to warn everyone about the monsters," she said.

"Hey! _I _was the one who warned everybody and was in charge of keeping the school safe," Zach playfully whined in a joking manner.

"Whatever." Hannah kept on smiling. "So...?" she spoke. "Can he?"

I rubbed my chin in thought. "I don't see why not," I answered. "I'm going to be one of the chaperones there so I can keep an eye on you two," I pointed.

"Dad," Hannah laughed. "We won't get into trouble. We're good kids."

"Yeah..." I rolled my eyes with a smirk. "Right. You kids are _really _well behaved." Hannah opened her mouth to protest. "Kidding," I exclaimed. "I'm just kidding. But really." I gave them a serious and strict look. "Behave during the _Spring Dance_."

"Don't worry, dad," Hannah assured me. "By the way, where are you going?" she then asked.

"I'm going to ask my boss to see if it's alright for Hazel to do school online. Then I'm going to go the teachers' lounge before we can go home. So meet me at the school entrance in a half an hour," I told Hannah.

She nodded, taking Zach's hand. "Okay." With that, they both walked down to the library. "I'll see you later, dad," she called over her shoulder.

After they disappeared around the corner, I made my way to the office to talk to my boss, who is the principal of this school, and the one who asked me if I can have a job here and I said yes, why not. I don't need to hide from people anymore that I did all those years. And since I took that job offer, I enrolled Hannah so she can go to school with her friends. She was very happy because she got a little tired of being homeschool with me teaching her about the monsters that I created.

When I arrived, I walked into the office to see Principal Harrison sitting at his desk. I didn't even get a chance to knock on the doorframe since the door his wide open when he looked up from his computer.

"Hey, Stine," he said in his casual tone. "What brings you here?"

"I want to ask you something." I walked over to his desk, raking my fingers through my hair. "Is it alright for Hazel to do school online?"

"Who's Hazel?" he questioned with a confused face. "Does she come to this school?"

"Oh, uh, no. She doesn't come to this school, Principal Harrison. In fact, my daughter explained to me why Hazel doesn't want to go to a real school. Turns out she had a rough time at her last school when she real little," I told him.

"Okay... But that doesn't answer my first question," Harrison mentioned.

"Oh! Hazel is one of Hannah's best friend who is living with me right now," I explained, realizing what he meant.

"Are you her father?" he asked next.

I shook my head. "No...but I have to admit, I do see her as another daughter. Even though I hadn't adopted her. Yet."

"Alright." He seemed to understand what I was telling him. "Is there a reason why she's living with you?"

"Yes, actually. Long story short, she used to live on her own."

"Why is that? Was she an orphan?"

"Uh, n-no. She used to live with her god family who treated her badly," I told him. "I think she was about five when she ran away from them and ended surviving on her own at a house that she found that was empty."

Harrison took off his glasses off his face. "That's just terrible," he commented. I can tell that he felt bad for her even though he never met her. "Just...terrible. Where is she now?"

"She's at a mental hospital." Harrison looked at me with a stunned look. "She's fine, it's just..." I rubbed the back of my neck, biting my bottom lip. "She has several problems," I said. "Anyway, is it okay for her to do online schooling?"

Putting his glasses back on, he leaned back in his chair. "Hmm..." He breathed in and out of his nose. "How good are her social skills?"

Confused, I responded. "Huh?"

"Her social skills," he repeated calmly. "Does she talk to anyone?"

"She talks to me..." I pointed at myself. "...my daughter... Zach... Champ... even Taylor. I'm not sure if she talks to Lorraine or to Ms. Cooper. I'm not sure if she talking to anyone at the mental hospital," I answered in all honesty. "Why do you ask that?" I questioned.

He leaned forward, drumming his fingers on his desk. "I prefer her to start real school. Since she ended up quitting school back when she was a lot younger, chances are that her social skills aren't fully developed nor her learning skills. Now I'm not saying that she has to force herself to walk up to new people everyday since everyone has their own 'circle' when it comes to talking to other people. I don't want her to homeschool herself and not get to know others by not going to a real school. So whenever she gets home from that mental hospital, sign her up to this high school. I'll have one of the students give her a tour, and if it's okay with her, I'll sign her up for the classes that Hannah, Zach, Champ, and Taylor that they are in."

I was quiet, biting my tongue on what he had told me. I sighed. Hazel isn't going to be happy about this... I thought. But it's for the best and Harrison's right. She has to start real school and not lock herself up inside every, single day. And as long as she's in the classrooms that either Zach, Champ, Taylor, and Hannah are in, she won't have to worry about talking to people that she doesn't know. Also, when I think about, I believe she's kind of...shy. I did notice that she doesn't talk that much. She'll talk, but she only talks when she wants to. God, and I promised her that she'll do school online. Well, Stine, not all promises can be kept. Some can be broken... just like you did to Slappy... Not only that, I don't want to argue with my boss and get fired since I love my new job. With a sigh, I looked back at him.

"Okay, I'll let her start actual school as long as she's with her first friends," I agreed with a nodding head. "Since Zach is one of my students for English class, I'll have her as well."

"Good idea," Harrison also agreed. "I'll order her school supplies so you won't have to go shopping for them," he smiled. "And I can't wait to meet her," he added.

"Yeah, she's very nice." Looking at the clock, I saw it was already a half hour. "Gee wiz, time sure does fly," I complemented. "I wanted to go to the teachers' lounge before me and my daughter can go home." I gripped my briefcase and gave my boss a small wave. "Bye," I departed.

"Bye, Stine. And have a good evening," he returned, going back on his computer, presumably to get everything for Hazel whenever she gets back home from the place she's so she can start school here.

Walking out of the office, I made my way down the hall to the school entrance to see Hannah giving Zach a kiss on the lips. Smirking, I went up to them. "I thought you knew better then to do PDA in school," I scolded playfully.

Hannah and Zach let out a laugh. Zach placed gave Hannah a hug and spoke. "I'll see you tomorrow," he whispered, pretending that I'm invisible for his own amusement. I just let out a soft chuckle when he released her. "Bye, Stine," he waved, not wanting to leave me out. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You too," I returned with a friendly smile. "Don't forget to do your homework tonight," I reminded.

"Don't worry. I won't forget." He then left the school, giving us a final wave, walking to his mom's car.

Once he got in the car, Ms. Cooper started the car and drove off while me and Hannah went to my car. I opened the driver's side with Hannah going to the other, getting into the passenger seat. She put her seatbelt on while she waited for me get in the car.

Getting into the car, I set my briefcase between us before putting my seatbelt on. Then I took out my car keys, putting one of them in the ignition, starting the car up and drove off the driveway to our house.

"Is Hazel going to do school online?" Hannah broke the short silence.

"Huh?" I answered, stopping the car when I saw several high schoolers on the sidewalk. I singled them to cross the street. They did, waving at me once they crossed the road to the other side, making their way to their homes.

"Is Hazel going to do school online?" she repeated.

I didn't answer right away as I started driving again. "No..."

"What?" I didn't have to look at her since I know that she's shocked at my short answer. "What do you mean no?" she mentioned, not sounding upset but disappointed. Very disappointed.

"Principal Harrison told me that she has to start real school. Have you noticed that she never talks to anyone else besides us?" She thought about and nodded. "That's the reason she has to start real school," I continued, stopping at a red light. "I know that you are upset but it's better if she starts school whenever she gets back home." The light turned green and I went back to driving. "Don't worry," I reassured Hannah, "my boss will sign her up for classes that you and your friends have. I also told him that she can be one of my students in my English class that Zach has with me, that way she won't have to worry about walking up to people and start a conservation. He'll also have one the students give her a tour around the school." I looked over at Hannah then switched my eyes back on the road. "Is that okay with you?" Please don't argue with me.

"I am disappointed..." Hannah admitted slowly, not wanting to argue with me since she knows what will happen. "But as long as she's in the classes that me and my friends are in, that's fine by me."

"Good. Oh, and you have to go over to Zach's house because I have something important to do," I told her.

"Um... okay..." She gave me a strange look. "Why can't I be with you while you do your 'important thing'?" she said, sounding curious.

I released a breath. "You just have to."

She didn't reply back for a long time, her eyes squinting at me. "Is there something that you are hiding...?"

"What?" I quickly said. "Uh, no. Nothing. I'm just going to be busy with something..." More like _someone_. "...and I don't want to bore you with anything. Anyway, did you and Zach caught up on some studying?"

"Yeah," she nodded. I can tell that she wanted to keep asking me what I have important on my mind. "Hey, dad, can I ask you something?" she spoke.

"Yeah, sure." I parked the car onto our driveway, grabbing my briefcase.

"Well, I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not, but...um... I heard you talking to someone..." I raised a brow as she continued on. "Because it sounded so..._real_. Not only that, I heard a different person with a raspy voice..." My eyes widen, hoping she won't figure out who it was. "...that started...crying. All I'm trying to say is..." She combed through her hair with her fingers. "Was I _actually _dreaming or was I not?"

I grabbed the car door and answered. "You were just dreaming, sweetheart." I smiled at her. "Now go on over to Zach's house while I take care of something..." I wish it was something… "Also, make sure Zach does his homework," I told her as she was getting out of the car.

Hannah chuckled. "Don't worry, dad. I'll remind him."

As she walked over to Zach's house, I got out of the car and walked into my home. Even though I love my job as a teacher, I do love it when I get home.

Hanging my car keys on the little hook, I made my way upstairs to the study to grade all my classes' three pages stories that are for teenagers. However, before I do that, I have some_one _to take care of first.

I opened the door, poking my head into the room. "Slappy?" I walked in. "Slappy?" Setting my briefcase down on my desk. "Slappy, are you awake?"

A short mutter replied back. "No, I'm not." Slappy pulled himself out the sleeping bag. I did my best not to look at his scratched up face. "I was just resting," he said. "I saw that you left me a note about healing our scars in our 'relationship'."

"And about the apology to Hazel," I added.

"Whatever," Slappy replied in a rude tone. "I don't care _how _bad our last relationship was, and I'm _not _going to apologize to that girl," he snarled. "Plus, I feel offended when you said that I am stubborn."

"You kind of are..." Slappy gave me an icy look. "Hey, you're too stubborn to even feel _bad _for what you did to Hazel," I proclaimed.

"Feel bad!?" He got up from the floor. "You think I feel _BAD!? _I _don't _feel bad at all! I gave her what she deserves for trying to stop me! I _hate _her. Just like how much I hate-" He stopped all of a sudden and fell back on the floor. "Ohh..." he moaned.

"What is it?" I became concerned about him.

"I don't know why...but I keep getting sick. I was actually getting dizzy ever since I woke up this morning," he explained. "I'm not sure if it's from the scratches on my face..."

"I think you should rest more..." I suggested. "If you want to, I can take you to the other guest room that you can get more sleep," I offered.

He scoffed. "Why would I want _your _help? I can get there myself." He carefully got up, his fabric legs shaking like crazy. I reached out to help him. "I said _NO!_" he snapped angrily. "I can get there myself," he repeated with a snarl.

"Slappy, buddy, let me-" I reached out to him again, only for him to smack my hand away.

"I am _not _your damn buddy!" He took one step at a time. "If we were buddies, you wouldn't locked me in a book all those years." He eyed me, narrowing his brows to make him look enraged. "And I don't want to fix the scars in our relationship..." he hissed, turning his head around. "And there's no way I'll apologize to Hazel..."

"Slappy, just let me-"

Not wanting to repeat himself, he teleported from the study room, going to the other guest room. I shook my head and sighed.

"This isn't going to be easy..." I muttered, going over my desk, opening up my briefcase and taking out all my students' homework to grade. "I hope Hannah doesn't found out that Slappy is released before I can even tell her," I wished, clicking a red pen and began grading everyone's stories.

Turns out my wish ended up failing.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

I finished my book when Jackson came into the room. "He's waiting for you," he announced, going over to my books. "Do you mind if I read one of them?" he asked, picking up a book titled _Bad Hare Day_. "It's been awhile since I read these kinds of books," he told me.

I closed my book, placing it on top of the other ones. "Sure," I allowed. "Just don't ruin them. They have to be in good condition," I slightly warned, getting out of bed. "Um…" I looked around. "Where do I put my icepack at?"

"Are you done with it?" Jackson said, sitting down at his bed.

"No." I shook my head. "I'm not. I just want to put it somewhere." I then set it on my dresser. "Oh well," I shrugged. "If it melts, it melts. Besides, it'll still be cold." I shoved my hands into my pants pockets. "Aren't you going to show me where music therapy is?" I reminded him.

"Oh, sorry about that," he remembered, placing my book down that hadn't been opened yet. "Come with me." He gestured his hand for me to follow him, which I did. "It's right over…" He then pointed. "There." He walked me over to a door that was opened. "She's here," he reported before turning his attention towards me. "Have fun. You're gonna love it."

"But... I don't know how to play an instrument," I said softly. The only reply I got was a gentle push from him. "Okay," I sighed. "I'll do it." I'm gonna fail. "I'll see you later."

He snapped his fingers and pointed. "Same goes for you, too." After that, he went back to our room, whistling a catchy tune.

My face turned back to its normal color once he was out of my sight.

"Hello, Hazel." My eyes went over to a middle aged man who set up two violins on the table. "It's so great to meet you," he spoke in a relaxed voice. "Come in, take a seat," he invited.

I did so and then remembered what Jackson told me on how to get used of physical contact. I stuck out my hand. "It's nice to meet you, too, Dr. Williams."

He shook my hand, and to my surprise, I didn't flinch at being touched for the first time. Was it because Jackson kept touching me? Was that why I didn't flinch this time?

I stared at the violins that are in front of me. I was afraid to tell him that I don't know how to play any instrument, not wanting him to be one of those really strict music teachers. And before I even opened my mouth, he spoke.

"If I'm not mistaken..." he began to talk. "I heard that you had a rough childhood back when you were with your god family and heard about your illness. That is such a shame; a tragedy for what you went through." He let out a chuckle, as if to make it humorous and opposite of what I went through. I didn't laugh or chuckle with him. He then cleared his throat, once he noticed my facial expression. "Does thinking about them make you frustrated?" The only answer I gave him was a simple nod. "Do you ever kick at walls to let out your anger and frustration?" he questioned next. I nodded again. "Do you always feel down?" I thought about it and nodded my head, answering each question that was thrown at me. "Look at me, Hazel." I did so, forcing my eyes off the violins. "You know what I do when I feel down?" he said. Instead of me answering, he picked one of the violins and one of the bows. He set himself up and answered his question for me. "Music helps me let out my feelings of all kinds..." He attached his bow to the strings. "...and when I do it, it helps get release any feelings I have. That way they aren't bottled up inside. Everyone has their own way of letting out any feelings such as sadness, anger, frustration, just like what you have. They either kick at walls, scream in rage, break objects. They even snap at other people when they have mood swings. They don't mean it, it just they can't control themselves. For me, I have my own way of letting out my feelings." He gave me an example by pulling his bow across the strings, making a strong note sound. "When words fail to come out..." He played another good note, stronger than the last one. "And movements are all you can do to keep yourself by breaking down..." He made a few more notes, this time soft and steady ones. "You play," he answered briefly as he stared at me with not glaring or stern eyes, but empathetic ones.

"...play...?" I questioned a little ignorantly.

"Concentrate on your feelings," Dr. Williams advised as he placed down his violin to pick up another. "When you feel them swell up inside you..." He pushed the delicate set of objects towards me and even took the liberty of setting it up for me. "You connect those emotions through your body to your instrument and just play. Don't think about what you want to play. Don't think at all. Just play. Anything. Your emotions will take over. And soon, you realize how much of the pain you've expressed out from inside of you. Try it."

Holding the prepared instrument that he generously set up for me, I felt a very strong doubt of playing. "But..." I released a short grunt in disbelief. "I don't know how to play this or any instrument..."

"What did I say?" he almost calmly reminded. "Don't think. Just play."

I realised a drawn out sigh and decided to do it anyway. Of course, I let out a screeching note. I already began to feel frustrated. "See?" I said, feeling like I just wanted to drop the violin on the ground, ready for him to start getting mad at me for playing a wrong note. But he didn't yell. He didn't care how it sounded. It's like he doesn't care at all to be exact. He seemed like he wants progress on how I play it.

"No. Keep going," he pursued.

Feeling my anger rise, I clenched my hand on the neck and began to play once more. However, knowing he'd still want me to play after just one note, I continued to even after hearing terrible notes. In fact, having me deal with those notes wanted me to play as if I was trying to tear apart every string on the violin. I was surprised it lasted. After I felt almost breathless from that expression of frustration, I lowered the violin and took a look at it. Then, I began to think what I had just done. I immediately felt...guilty for playing this thing very badly. My bipolar mood went to that feeling. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I can't help myself… The thought of playing this damn instrument so terribly made me feel...awful. "I'm sorry," I apologize, feeling very bad. "I wish I could play this a lot more better like you can..."

"No," he rejected. "That was it. You let out the feelings that you have inside you from one of the illnesses that makes you have mood swings that you are forced to have. Maybe not all of it, but at least for the time being. You feel better, don't you?"

"I don't know... I don't think I feel better at all... Maybe I do, but..." I still don't know what to think.

He picked up the other violin and bow, and set it up properly on him. "Let's play together... But follow me. I'll play a note, and then you play. It doesn't matter how you sound... Just relax and stroke your bow on the violin strings. If you feel anger or other feelings that are starting to build up inside you, play it roughly. It doesn't have to sound perfect. Not everyone is perfect when it comes to instruments or singing songs… Just...think of someone that makes you upset and frustrated. It can be one person or more..." he told me with a calm smile. "Are you thinking of someone?" he asked.

I nodded, gripping my violin so tightly that my hand is getting a bit sore. I bet you know who I'm thinking about that makes me upset and frustrated... That's right... Travis...

"Alright, good. Now do what I do. Remember, I'll play a note, and then you play. And we go from there."

"..okay..." I decided to agree.

* * *

I don't know how much time as passed by during this session while me and him took turns. Of course, I kept playing awful notes, causing the strings to let out ear piercing sounds with lots of screeches, and Dr. Williams didn't yell at me for doing those notes. At least he's very relaxed about it…

"Alright, that's it for today," he announced, putting his violin and bow down onto the table. I set mine down next to it. "That was very good, Hazel," he praised, patting my shoulder. Again, I didn't flinch, wondering why I keep doing that.

"But I played so badly..." I said sadly, feeling like a failure. "I'm no good with those instruments..." I looked away, not wanting him to see me cry or else he'll tell me to keep playing even though my music therapy appointment is over.

"I'll tell you what." I faced him when he picked up one of the violins, the one that I 'played'. "Why don't you keep this?" he offered kindly, placing it on my lap along with the bow.

I looked down at the objects, taking them in my hands. I wasn't sure what to say at this point. Do I really want to take this? I mean, I don't mind. It's that reading helps me… feel relaxed. In fact, it was the only thing that makes me feel at ease just like I stated before that monster attack in the town of Madison. However, I didn't want to be rude since he generously offered me this...gift. Even though I was bad at it. Good thing he wasn't one of those kinds of people that will shout at other people who played an instrument all wrong or sang off key, and get all bossy about it.

Holding the objects, I gave him a small nod. "Thanks... that was...really nice of you."

He let out a beaming grin. "Great!" he declared. "And here's the case for it." He showed me how to put it away in case I take it out when I need it. "Remember, dear. It doesn't matter how you sound when pulling the bow across the strings. Just play and don't think. It doesn't have to be perfect." Doesn't have to be perfect… "Not everyone is good at playing an instrument," he continued. "In case you want to learn, here's a book on what letter strings that are on the violin and how to play it _properly_. You don't have to be good at it right away, just mess around with it for now. Whenever you feel sad, angry, frustrated, or any feeling you have, just take your violin... and play," he empathized greatly, motioning his pointer fingers as if to settle the mood that was between me and him. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," I returned, taking the violin case with my right hand, the book on the left before leaving the room and stopped at the doorway. "Doesn't have to be perfect?" I repeated.

He shook his head, the calm and nurtured smile still planted on his face. "No, it doesn't."

Starting to feel relaxed from his body language, I proceeded out the door to take this to the room before I can go get dinner. I'm not sure if Jackson's is in the room waiting for me or at the cafe. It doesn't matter to me. If he's not in the room, he'll be waiting for me at the cafe at the same table that we sat at twice.

Arriving at the room, I saw that he hadn't left. He didn't look up when I entered since his eyes were fixated on the book that he's reading that I let him borrow. The only time he took his eyes off it is when I walked up to him.

"Hey, there." He closed the book, getting up from his bed, placing it back on the other books. "How was music therapy?" he asked, leaning against the dresser in a cool type of way that some boys due to get girls' attention. He surely got my attention for sure. "Was it great?"

"It..." I walked over to my bed, placing the case next to it against the wall, or else I'll end up falling over it. "...was okay. I didn't play the violin very well," I answered. "Only Dr. Williams didn't mind that I played it so terribly despite the bad notes I made." I picked the case off the floor, and took it out and the bow. I set myself up, remembering how to do it right away. I gave him an example by pulling the bow across the strings, making a screeching noise. When I did that, I saw that he cringed. I took that as an offense. "Really?" My mood went from relaxed to getting slightly angry. "You just _cringed_ even though I explained to you that I'm _terrible_ at this instrument?"

He shook his head. "No," he recovered. "I didn't mean to look like that. You're right. You are terrible at it."

"Boy, why am I not surprised?" I rolled my eyes sarcastically.

"Can I try it?" He held his hands out. I gave the violin and bow to him. He set himself up and played… Not in a bad way like I did. He actually played it very nicely, that he was playing a similar song.

"Was that… _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?_" I guessed, not sure if I was correct or not.

"That's right," Jackson grinned. "I used to play the violin back in fourth grade," he told me with a sly smile, handing the instrument back to me. "Maybe we can play our instruments together."

"Yeah, maybe." I shrugged. "I hope I learn how to play this stupid thing." I put the violin and bow back in the case, closing it shut. "I also can't wait for tomorrow to start my medication and I'm wondering when I can get home," I added.

Jackson placed his hand on me, his silver eyes looking into my very own. "Don't worry about when you're going home. You'll get to go home soon." And to my total surprise, he hugged me. Did I pull away from him? No, I didn't. I didn't feel anxious when Stine did the same thing to me to the point where I snapped at him. Despite the hug I'm getting, I failed by trying not to show the pink circles that lit up on my face when he let go of me. "You know..." Jackson pointed out. "Every time your face does that it makes you look... I don't know... hot."

My face bloomed even brighter. "R-Really...?" That was the first time he called me that. "Will you have the same reaction if I say that you're... cute?" Even though I didn't smile or grin after I said that, he too, blushed, his face turning that bright, rosy pink on his cheeks. "I'll take that as a yes," I consumed with a seldom look.

"Heh, heh." He let out a shy chuckle, almost feeling bashful. "Are you hungry?" he said, changing the subject before it gets too out of hand.

"Yeah, I am," I replied when my stomach let out a rumble.

He laughed, elbowing me playfully. "Let's go and eat." Taking my hand, he led me back to the café.

I hope they don't have tacos, I thought. And even if they did, Jackson did something for me that I'll never forget...


	20. Chapter 20: Trouble At The Cafe

**Chapter 20: Trouble At The Cafe**

* * *

By the time we got to the cafe, there was a huge line of people waiting to get their food. Great... just what I need... I long line of patients... with me starving for food. My stomach growled again and luckily it was very quiet, or else everyone is gonna end up staring at me. Yes, you may have already guessed, I don't like to be the center of attention ever since I was laughed at for trying to tell my 'classmates' about the _Goosebumps _book that I was reading. Another one of the reasons that I'm always avoiding people of my age besides adults because I know that grownups won't judge other people for the things that they like.

I leaned against the wall, crossing my ankle over the other one. It's gonna take a long time before me and Jackson can barely get out food unless they plenty. Geez... there wasn't a line when we had breakfast and lunch. So why do have a long line now? I can already feel the anger come on inside me. Too bad I didn't bring my violin to let out my feeling that I'm having now... I hate waiting for long periods of time.

The line seemed to move slowly to me and I began to get frustrated, wanting to cut in front of the line. Although I wanted to, I can't risk the fact of getting in trouble or else I'll be kicked out of this building. That is, if the staff does that to their patients. No, they wouldn't do a think like that, would they? They're nice people.

Tapping my foot on the ground, I poked a girl on the shoulder. She yelped, spinning around to face me. "Sorry," I said. "I just wanted to ask you something."

She gave me a friendly grin, taking my apology and spoke in reply. "What do you want to ask me?"

I shuffled my feet with her waiting for my question. "What are we having for dinner? It seems like everyone is, oh I don't know, excited for whatever we are having."

"We're having Chinese food," she brightly answered.

"Chinese food?" I questioned with an arched brow. "Wait, the people working in the kitchen... know how to make Chinese food?" I exclaimed in shock.

"That's right." She smiled proudly, like she knew this whole time. "Only the problem is, since it's a _very _popular food, not everyone gets to have any," she told me.

I lowered my head. "Does that mean we won't get any?" I couldn't help but ask. Chinese food is my most favorite thing to eat. The problem is... I don't eat it that often. More likely, it's a rare thing that I chow down. I should just sit at the table and not get anything. I'm not that hungry... I'm not desperate to get food... I'll just wait until tomorrow for breakfast... and lunch... There's no possible way that I'll end up getting any... It's like being back in school where all of my classmates would end up taking the snacks with me not getting anything... I felt like crying, but I fought the tears and looked at Jackson.

"I'm..." My face turned red. "...going to sit at our table. Don't worry about getting food for me, I'll wait until tomorrow," I spoke. I left the line, going to our usual table.

"I'll get you food, Hazel," I heard Jackson call out to me.

Why does that even sound like a promise? You heard what that girl said, not everyone gets to have any of that stuff...because how popular that type of food is.

The normal color came back once I sat down at the table, staring out the window. It was...a very nice day, to be honest. It actually...wants me to...smile... But the frown wouldn't go away. It just...stayed there. I highly doubt that my combo medication would even work.

I put my head down, my hopes of getting food just... dying away from me. I know food is important to get healthy. However, if I don't get anything to eat, I just have to wait until tomorrow. I think I should just skip dinner and just have breakfast and lunch, instead.

My stomach growls louder and I couldn't hide my embarrassment. Don't think about food, I told myself. It'll only make it worse...

So I just sat there with my head down on the table. And while I did that, the words that Jackson said to me swam around inside my head when he told me that every time my face turns red or pink when I look at him or when he touches me, he commented that I look... 'hot' when my face does that sort of thing. Now I'm not sure if that's appropriate for boys to say that to girls considering that I never had a crush on a boy before in my life ever since I stopped going to school.

At least I returned his comment by calling him... cute with those silver eyes... the dark brown hair... Okay, I need to stop. I can already start to feel my face being filled up with red, getting all warm and flustered. I just can't help it if he's so... attractive towards me... Yeah, I can't stop thinking about him. And when I think about it, it was...probably a good thing to tell him my feelings when I'm around him. I have feelings for him when he _isn't _around me. Oh well, at least he feels the same way with me... even though I'm not ready to go out on a date just yet... Sigh. I hope I get to go home soon. I wonder if Stine is gonna let me do school online...

Another sigh slipped out my lips. Stine promised me that he'll let me do school online. No way he'll lie to me, would he? Okay, maybe I'm getting paranoid, I have to admit. Nevertheless, he's a good man who's very friendly. Yes, at first he seemed like a...creepy guy. Except for how wrong I was. Judging people isn't my kind of thing. I don't like to do that...

Now in case you are wondering, what if I do end up going to _actual _school? Will I be upset about it? Well... I don't know... He wouldn't break his promise. I can trust him and the ones that are my friends. Especially Hannah. The thought of her made me miss her. Seeing her as my best friend also made me think of her as my sister, just like I had said before. Even if I _do _get adopted, she'll treat me with respect, unlike my damn god brother...

I have a sense that he'll be living across the street from Stine. I don't understand why, though. I'm not a...psychic or anything unpeculiar. Dreams are just dreams. They don't come true unless... I shook my head really hard. Don't think about Travis… don't think about him, at all. That's just gonna make you both upset and angry. Deep breath and relax. You're not around him anymore...

"Hey there," a voice piped up, sounding like a male, not Jackson at all. I turned to see a boy with his foot on the chair, his arms crossed over his chest, wearing a baseball cap on his head in a backward type of style. Oh no... this can't be good... I can already feel a bad vibe from him... "I saw you come in the building last night," he told me, taking a seat. I rolled my eyes, not interested in talking to him. Why does he seem like a complete creep? "You want to know why I'm here?" I didn't say anything back... "I'm here because my _family _says I have an 'ego problem'. I mean, I know I'm good looking." He swiped his hand over his ruffled up hair that is a dirty-blonde that looks to be all long and curled at the ends. "Before I came here, all the girls just _love _me to death. They keep saying that 'Oh, you seem so fine, Trevor'." He fluttered his eyelids just like girls would do to boys to get their attention, even mimicking a high, pitched voice, then went back to his regular one. "Ahem, anyway..." Trevor cleared his throat. "I'm one the _best _people ever in this building. My therapist told me to stop being so...egotistical about everything. I mean, _come on_ a guy like me, whoo, you never even know the things I like to do with girls. Heh, heh, heh," he chuckled. I turned away from him, in all hopes that he'll leave me alone. But it didn't go as planned when he grabbed my chin, having me look at him. "Playing hard to get, ey?" Trevor assumed with a creepy smile of his. "I like that, I really do," he mentioned, placing his hand on the upper part of my leg that was near him, getting too close to my...well...you know... 'personal area'. "I'll tell you what..." he said, leaning too close to me that I ended up leaning _away _from him. "Why don't you come to my room and have a little... fun?" The way he proceeded the word 'fun' doesn't sound...comfortable. Better hurry up, Jackson... "I know that you're a little uncomfortable to...um...sleep with me," he grinned. _A little _uncomfortable? Plus the way he said 'sleep with me' made me highly uneasy. I shove his hand off me, giving him burning eyes.

"Don't touch me there," I warned, finding the urge to speak up. "Don't you know the term of _personal space?_"

The answer I got was a chuckle. "Oh, you're a feisty one," he commented, playing with my hair. I smacked his hand away. "Ow..." He sucked in a breath, gritting his teeth together. "You hit hard. I like that." He bobbed his head up and down. "Only, you don't have to _physically _hit me. I know that you're admiring me." My jaw slacked opened when he said that. "Peh, that guy you are with is such a...loser," he insulted, talking about Jackson. I opened my mouth only for him to put his finger on my lips. "Don't worry about him, fine girl," he assured me, his voice getting all...creepy. "So why don't we just get to know each other before we can have our _fun time_ together?" He managed to take my hand and I yanked it out of his grip, surprising him.

"I said, don't touch me," I repeated through gritted teeth. "And Jackson isn't a loser," I added, defending my crush. I got up from the table, wanting to get away from this fellow who is a complete bastard.

I only took several steps when I felt him grab my arm, stopping me. "Where do you think you're going?" he muttered with clenched teeth, being all aggressive all of the sudden, shocking me.

"Away from you," I manage to say, about to pull my arm out of his fingers, only for him to tightened his grip. "Let go," I tried to say in a demanding voice, only it came out shrilly.

His dark eyes seem to glare at me. "Where do you think you're going?" he repeated his question, like he doesn't believe me.

"Away from you," I repeated back, then held back a painful scream as his fingers got even tighter around my arm. "Let go of my arm! Y-You're going to leave _bruises _on me!" I barely shrilled, my voice caught in my throat.

He used his other hand, placing it on my shoulder, forcing me to walk backwards at a wall that's next to the window, that is not too far from the table. His eyes weren't in that ego type of state like they were before. Now they were blazing into my eyes… sending a cold shiver down my neck, making the hair on my arms go straight up in fear.

"That's too bad..." he responded, his eyes sending frightening daggers at me, watching me struggle against his strong grip of his hands. "A lot of girls like to... have fun with me..." He licked his lips.

Not liking where this was going, I tried to see if Jackson is still at the far end of the line. But he wasn't. Possibly getting food, and probably getting food for me, too.

I struggled against this boy's grip, no sound coming out of my mouth due to the shear pain that he's giving me. It's weird. One minute he's a creep, and the next thing I know, he's totally obsessed with me. Not in a nice way like Jackson.

That's the first person that into my mind, hoping he'll hurry up and see what's going on.

* * *

**Jackson**

* * *

The line seemed to go down faster than I expected since Hazel walked away to our table, watching her sit down and the table, placing her head down. I wasn't sure if it was sadness or she just doesn't want to wait to get food; Chinese food, the popular type of food that we don't get everyday.

Although she told me not to get her anything, I can't risk the fact of not getting any food in her system because of how...pretty she seems to be with those, well, hazel eyes. I never seen a girl with those type of colored eyes in my life until she bumped into me by mistake. And even when I told her that she looks hot when her face blooms, it made me feel..._a little _embarrassed, I have to admit. Then for a turn around, she called me...cute, causing _my _face to bloom for the first time. However, I don't mind when she said it with no smile.

Sigh. I hope she can since she told me that she _almost _did it. Plus, I hope she took my advice by shaking other people's hands in order to get used of physical contact because of what she told me back when she was a very small child. I mean, what kind of god family would be so cruel and mean to her? It makes me...angry.

Am I protective of her? I believe so. I stood up for her against my ex, which basically counts in my personal opinion. Not only that, I was pretty surprised when she admitted her feelings to me, saying that she likes me.

Although I started to ask her if she wants to go out on a date, she simply decline, telling me she isn't ready for one. Oh well, I don't mind. I just have to ask her next time, just like she told me before. She told me that the next time I ask her out, it might be a yes. And by the word _might_, it basically means she won't know for sure. I won't know for sure, either if I were in her shoes.

There had been times where I just want to just...kiss her right away, only to hold myself back to avoid a snappy response due to one of her illnesses. I came greatly concern when she told me that her reflection spoke to her on its own, and not able to take her combo until tomorrow.

I hope she knows that it takes time for any medication to take effect. In my case when I first arrived at this special hospital, my depression had been pretty bad to the point where I'll cry all day in my room before Hazel came. I took the medication the next day. I knew it would take time for the medication to work right away, and before I even knew it, I felt happy again, praying every night to go home. But my therapist told me that I'll go home real soon. I might even go home before my birthday. I just wish it didn't take a couple of days to get from here to home. What a bummer...

That also gave me an idea. I can ask my therapist if me and Hazel can go back home together. I did drive myself here. I actually had to stop to take a rest break for driving for long hours. I was afraid that I'll lose oil before I can even make it to this place.

By the time I got to where the food is, I wasn't sure what kind of Chinese food that Hazel likes, not wanting to get the wrong type. I avoided the spicy Chinese type food, remembering that she hated any food that has to do with anything spicy, excluding cinnamon.

I went over to the Chinese food that I certainly enjoy, grabbing two trays and two plates, setting them on the trays.

Since I'm not sure what type of Chinese food to get her, I simply just got us the same thing. Plus, in case she doesn't like it, she's free to get something else. No big deal. I'm not going to make her eat it. People like different types of food, right?

Once I filled up our plates and got our drinks, which is basically cold water, I carefully carried both our trays when I stopped all of a sudden to see Hazel against a wall with another boy who was two years older than her.

I watched and listened, catching every word that I'm hearing from him.

"That's too bad..." I heard him spoke, his back turned to me, not knowing that I'm currently eavesdropping. I walked slightly to the side to see both hands on her. One on her shoulder and one on her arm. I noticed how hard he was squeezing her. Did I do anything? No, not yet. Because something doesn't seem...right with this dude. "...a lot of girls..." I continued to hear him speak to her in a seductive tone. "...like to have..." His grip tightened. "...fun..." He licked his lips. Oh no... I can tell right away things are gonna get...bad. "You don't want to have fun with me? Because it seems like you don't want to do _my _kind of fun that I like to do with girls," I heard him growl with clenched teeth. My eyebrows began to lower... "Why don't you want to go to my room and have fun with me!?" The boy began to raise his voice in a yelling kind of way, drawing lots of attention from other people. They stopped eating and turned their heads to see what's going on. None of them moved from their tables, not knowing what to do in this kind of situation.

The boy smacked her on the forehead, right where the stitches are at. Knowing to get hit there, it does hurt. A lot. Hazel couldn't muster out a scream because of how tightly his fingers were around her arm, which began to turn red... "Tell me!" he cried, shooting his eyes at her. "Why don't you want to have fun with me!? I'm the best guy in this building! I'm the best guy _before _I came here! What? Are you afraid of someone like me?" He leaned too close to her, causing her to look _away _from me. "Why don't you want to have fun with me!?" he shouted in her ear, getting her all frightened by his aggressive behavior. "Well then, guess what?" His grip around her arm was so tight, that his own arm began to show veins from the distance that I was at. "I'm just gonna _make _you have fun!" he yelled. "Because once I do, you'll-"

_**"LET GO OF ME!" **_That's when it hit me. I dropped the trays, food splattering on the floor when I heard her scream in a voice that I never thought would come from her. I grabbed one of the trays in my hands and began running towards the boy.

"Hey!" With a shout, I slammed the tray on his head, hitting him hard with it. "Get away from her," I ordered, raising the tray over my head to strike another blow.

He rubbed his head. "Ow! What the hell!?" he responded, casting a glare at me. "How about _you_ get away from her?" He poked my chest with his finger. "She's much safer with me then with you," he stated firmly.

"Safe with you?" I deceived. "I saw you _squeezing _her arm from over there." I pointed to where I dropped the food. "Do you know what she's been through?"

"I don't _care _what she's been through!" he voiced out, not caring if everyone is watching. "All I want is for her to have fun with me in my room."

"Don't make her do the kind of fun that she doesn't want to do," I said, getting ready to hit him again. "Or else I'll strike you again!" I cried, ignoring the glaring eyes that are hitting me as I stood my ground.

"Oh yeah? Then maybe you should _fight _me!" he proclaimed, his voice getting very loud that it echoed around the cafe.

I instantly smirked a grin, lowering the tray, holding it on my right hand. "You wanna fight _me_?" I pointed at myself. "Pft, yeah right." I rolled my eyes. "I won the _black belt _in martial back in two thousand and ten, five years ago." I know I was boasting, and I can't help myself for that. "So..." I set the tray down on the table. "...if you decided to leave Hazel alone and not fight me, why not just have our separate ways?" My grin grew a bit wider as I held out my hand. "Deal?"

He picked his hand up, ready to take mine...

And that's when I saw a fist come at me.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

My eyes were stuck on Trevor's face, his eyes just sending fire at me. I stopped struggling, knowing how useless it is since he's a lot stronger than I am. My only thought I have is: Jackson, hurry up before something bad happens to me.

Trevor kept eyeing at me. "You don't want to have fun with me? Because it seems like you don't want to do _my _kind of fun that I like to do with girls," he growled, his teeth clenching together that I was almost worried that he'll end up breaking them off. Why don't you want to go to my room and have fun with me!?" he yelled, raising his voice. I can feel people staring at us, drawing lots of attention, and didn't seem to care unlike me who doesn't like a whole lot of attention. However, nobody got up from their chairs. I don't blame them for not knowing what to do. I then got smacked on the spot on where the stitches are at by surprise, sending me a lot of pain right on my forehead, then tightened his grip around my arm, making it turn red... My mouth couldn't make a scream, not being able to form words... "Tell me!" he demanded, his eyes getting all furious at me. "Why don't you want to have fun with me!? I'm the best guy in this building! I'm the best guy _before _I came here! What? Are you afraid of someone like me?" He leaned forward so close to me, I forced myself to turn my to the side. He was starting to get very aggressive at me. "Well then, guess what?" he spoke, his hand getting more tighter than ever before, and I know that he's gonna end up leaving finger indents on my skin. "I'm just gonna _make _you have fun!" he cried out. "Because once I do, you'll-"

_**"LET GO OF ME!" **_I screamed in a voice that I never used before. That's when I heard a loud crashing sound of some sort, and heard someone running towards us, and I saw that is was Jackson.

"Hey!" he shouted, slamming the tray right on top of Trevor's head. "Get away from her!" He raised the tray up, reading to hit him again with it.

Trevor rubbed his head at the spot on where he got smacked. "Ow! What the hell?" he cried in pain, giving Jackson a hard glare. "How about _you_ get away from her?" he said, poking him on the chest. "She's much safer with me then with you."

Uh... what are you talking about, psycho? What makes you think I'm-

"Safe with you?" Jackson questioned in disbelief, interrupting my thought. "I saw you _squeezing _her arm from over there," he reported, pointing at the spot where he saw everything, where there was a tray, plates, drinks, and food all over the floor. "Do you know what she's been through?" he asked.

"I don't _care _what she's been through!" he replied, still not caring if people are staring right at us. "All I want is for her to have fun with me in my room," he said, still glaring at my...crush.

Jackson responded back to Trevor's words. "Don't make her do the kind of fun that she doesn't want to do," he threw back, as he got himself ready to hit this psycho on the head again, not hesitating to do it. "Or else I'll strike you again!" he threatened, ignoring the harsh look, standing his ground.

"Oh yeah? Then maybe you should _fight _me!" Trevor challenged, his voice echoing around the cafe.

Jackson lowered his tray to his ride side, holding it in his right hand when a smirk appeared on his face. "You wanna fight _me_?" he questioned, pointing at himself. "Pft, yeah right," he responded with an eye roll. "I won the _black belt _in martial back in two thousand and ten, six years ago," he boasted, putting his hand on his chest with a prideful look on his face. Black belt? Since when did he...? "So..." he spoke, setting the tray onto the table that I was sitting at. "...if you decided to leave Hazel alone and not fight me, why not just have our separate ways?" he suggested, sticking out his hand. "Deal?" he agreed.

I watched as Trevor stare at his hand. My forehead was in pain from getting smacked to where the stitches are at. Not only that, my arm was also in pain. I was too afraid to even look at it, in fear that there's gonna be finger indents from getting squeezed too hard, as well as bruises. But I was a lot more worried for Jackson than I am for myself. Is it normal to worry about someone else? I believe so...

Trevor continuously looked at Jackson's hand, picking up his own to take his... When a fist slammed onto Jackson's nose.

"Jackson!" I saw thick, red liquid spurting out of his nostrils, down his lips and down his chin, dripping onto the floor, right close to his sneakers. "Oh my, God! Jackson, you're bleeding!" I couldn't help but to exclaim.

He groaned, bringing his hand up to his face. He flinched when he touched his nose before glaring at Trevor. "Idiot! I think you broke my nose!" he cried.

"Too bad for you!" He brought his fist back, his eyes glazing back at him. "Want me to break it some more? Besides, that girl has nothing to do with you." After he said that, he was suddenly pulled to the ground. "Hey!" he declared, getting punched multiple times.

"Don't you dare..." Jackson punched Trevor's chin. "...go near Hazel..." He punched his right cheek. "...again," he finished, doing an uppercut, and continued to beat him until we heard screaming.

"_Stop! Stop it!" _Jackson was immediately pulled off by two large guys, along with Trevor, the two getting separated when Rosy walked up to the boys. "What is going on here?" she demanded, eyeing them. "Oh my," she gasped. "Jackson, when did your nose started to bleed?" she asked.

Jackson narrowed his brows, pointing at Trevor. "He _punched _me after I suggested him to just leave Hazel alone," he told her.

Rosy looked over at the other kid. "What were you doing?" she questioned him.

"I wasn't doing anything to her, Rosy. I was just talking to her," he answered.

"Liar!" Jackson walked over to him. "I saw what you did to her! You were _hurting _her by just...squeezing her arm tightly that you left finger marks and bruises on her!"

"Shut up, you damn idiot!" Trevor shoved him. He looked back at Rosy. "Don't listen to him, he's the one who's a liar. I was just...um...just..." He tried to think of what else to say. "Just... I was just having a nice conversation with her."

That's when _I _snapped. "No, you were not! I told you not to touch me, and you didn't even go away! Don't stand there and lie, creating a different story. You even left finger marks on me!"

"Let me see."

"Huh?" I replied, not knowing what Rosy's talking about at first.

"Let me see." She pointed at my arm. "Let me see," she repeated.

Hesitatingly, I showed it to her. Even though she was just a normal employee who welcomes new patients, she examined my arm like a doctor would do.

"They'll go away in the next three days," she told me, then turned over to Trevor. "As for you," she pointed. "Let's talk about what you did in my office."

"What?!" he reacted in shock. "Ma'am, she's lying. I told you, we were just-"

"In my office!" she cut him off, ignoring his words.

Trevor kicked the table, walking with Rosy before turning his head to gaze at me. He didn't say anything by the time he disappeared around the corner.

A few seconds went by. Everyone went back to eating their food, now that the whole scene was over. But that didn't make me feel any better...at all. All I did was looked at my shoes, just...feeling sorry for not being able to stand up for myself...at least this once. My forehead is starting to get sore, and my arm hurts like hell.

"Do you... want to eat?" Jackson broke the silence.

I just shook my head. "...no," I answered, fighting back the tears, knowing how easily I cry. "Don't worry about it... we can wait until tomorrow. For now, I'm too traumatized to even eat..." Slumping my shoulders, I picked my head up. "I'll be in our room..." I told him sadly.

"Are you sure you want to wait for tomorrow? I can get us new plates of food," he offered.

I simply declined. "I don't want you to go back and get more, Jackson. I'm...okay without having dinner. I can have dinner tomorrow."

"But are you sure-"

I slammed the nearest chair onto the floor, creating a loud _bang _sound, cutting him mid-sentence off. That noise brought attention to us again. People stopped eating and looked at us. My sorrow eyes went right to anger.

"I just said that _I'm okay without dinner for tonight!_" I snapped aggressively. Kicking the chair out of my way, I stormed out of the cafe, heading to our room.

By the time I did, I reached for the ice pack, which is almost melted, and placed on my stitches, lying down on me bed. My anger switched to sadness and hopelessness. Tears went down my face after I gave up fighting them back. I wish I can tell that Trevor guy to leave me alone in a more...bolder way like I did back a kindergarten before I ran away from that place and the...other one that I don't want to mention anymore. Even the people that I lived with. I told him to go away, telling him that I don't want to have...fun with him of how he used that word… I would've just punched him like mad...like I did to Dr. Maniac. So...why didn't I do the same to that...creep? Probably because I was too terrified to speak up before I let out that scream in a voice that I never even used before in my life.

Just as the stitches started to cool down from the coldness of the half-melted ice pack, a familiar voice spoke to me inside my head, but it sounded like it was next to me.

_You didn't want to have fun with that Trevor kid? _the voice said in full disappointment.

Hey, the way he said it creeped me out! It's not the kind of fun that I want to have. Besides… I never had fun in my life… Everything about me is just...dull...boring...sad...different emotions...that it makes me...wanna...

_Cry? _the voice finished for me. _Yeah, you're life is sooo bor-ing, _it agreed. _Most people with this problem never want to live again… _My brows lowered. _They think that life isn't worth living for. They believe it's better to go to the otherside, _the voice continued. _Do you know what the otherside is, Hazel? Hm? Do you? _I didn't answer… _Of course you wouldn't know! It's because you're STUPID! You'll never get out of here, just like the reflection told you, you'll never get out of here. People who come here are just as crazy as you! They can't even STAND being here at this hell place. They always decide that the best option is to… _It stopped, letting out a short, eerie chuckle. _I should've asked you this. Have you decided to...oh, I don't know...commit suicide? Just like we talked about? Well...are ya?_

No...

_What did you say!?_

I said...no. Why the hell would even listen to you? You sound like that creepy reflection of myself.

_Oh, but I am..._ the voice snickered.

What? No, you're not. I don't even _see _you.

_Heh heh. You don't have to SEE me when I'm here. You can also hear me as well. In fact, I, the opposite image of yourself, was the one that talked to you at the beginning of that ice rink where that white, furry monster was at in the first place. Good God, Hazel! _it chortled. _You didn't know that at the very start?! How funny is THAT!_

My rolled my eyes. It's not funny... I thought.

_I'll always be with you...both auditory and visually... I'll ALWAYS be with you, weather you don't see me or not. Same goes for HEARING me talk to you. Someday I'll try to get rid of you since you didn't want to... kill yourself like I told you to do. Remember those cuts you made on your arms?_

Yes, it wasn't that long ago. I still have the scars but...they do heal...

_Don't let them heal! _the voice exclaimed. _Cutting yourself make you feel better...right? _When it said that, I clenched my teeth together, feeling myself start to heat up. _Why aren't you continuing it? You know, if you would've kept on doing it, you don't have to-_

_**"Shut up!" **_I covered my ears. "Leave me alone!" I cried since know one else is in the room. "I'm _**NOT **_doing that! What the hell is _**WRONG **_with you!? You think that just because I harmed myself from these _**DAMN **_illnesses that I am now suffering since day one, that I wanted my life to be _**OVER WITH?!" **_I stopped for a moment, waiting for the voice to start talking to me again...waiting for it to start to interrogate me...

Nothing. I guess it decided to leave me alone. For now.

I took off the ice pack, thinking about giving it back to the nurse since it's turning nothing except for a pack of water.

Deciding that was the best thing to do, I got up off the bed, walking out of the room- and bump into Jackson. Like always.

My face started to turn that rosy red. Am I getting used to this feeling? I believe so. I mean, it's not like I get embarrassed or anything. I do like him and he likes me. Even though I said to him that I'm not ready to start having a relationship with him. At least, not yet.

"Sorry," he spoke.

"That's okay..." I sighed, gripping the ice pack.

"Where are you going? Back to the cafe? I asked the ladies if they any food left and they do." He grinned at me. "And don't worry about what happened to you, that dude was just..."

"A creep," I answered for him. He nodded, agreeing with me. "I see that your nose stopped bleeding," I noticed after seeing crumpled up tissues in his hand that are stained with red. "Does it still hurt?"

"Just a little sore, that's all. I really thought that jerk broke my nose." He tossed the messy tissues into the trash can. "So, are you going to go back to the cafe and get food?" he asked.

"No, I'm..." I lifted the cold, liquid pack. "I'm going to give this back since it's melting." I looked at it, watching the water dripping from the bottom of the ice pack. "I better give this back right away. Before it creates a puddle between us on the floor."

"Okay. And don't worry about snapping out me like that," Jackson reassured me with a pat on my shoulder. "I know that you didn't mean it," he told me.

"Thanks..." was all I can respond with, even though I felt bad for doing that to my crush.

At least he isn't mad... Without further ado, I walked past him, making my way to the nurse's office to give the melting ice pack back to her, water dripping on the floor. There's no hole or anything, it's just even the pack felt cold, explaining why the water is dripping from the bottom.

Boy...the janitors are gonna have fun mopping this up…

By the time I got there, I knocked on the door, receiving no answer. So not wanting to knock again to avoid not being someone that is annoying. Which I'm not. I thought it was a good idea to just go in and take it to where she got it.

I entered her office, seeing that the chair is empty. Maybe she's on break.

Walking into the room, I made my way to find a freezer. It didn't take me long to find it. It was just at the other side of the wall that is behind her desk.

I opened the freezer door, putting the ice pack in so it can freeze again. I also cringed after I did that, feeling my stitches starting to get on fire again, wanting to grab a new frozen ice pack, but was also afraid that I would be told on for 'stealing'.

God dammit, why do stitches have to feel like an oven? They're even starting to itch, too. Crap! Why can't I have numbing gel or something? In fact, putting an ice pack on my stitches _does _work, except when you are done with it, and the stitches start to burn and hurt again.

Yeah, I need numbing gel for sure. I am not a...well, I can't say that I'm a 'happy camper' since I don't smile anymore. I wish I can. But I can't. Nothing makes me happy... Damn, I wish my last medication didn't stop working! I'm so frustrated that I want to kick something. Only I'm not going to do that, or else I'll destroy something. Like that lamp I just broke.

Feeling like a thief, I looked through the drawers and cabinets, looking for numbing gel when I felt this piercing headache, starting to get a little woozy, wanting myself to just sit down for a second. And before I can even do that, it just went away. I guess it happened because I'm worried that the nurse is gonna get mad at me for 'stealing' numbing gel.

Now when I think about, I'm gonna write a note, telling her that I'm only _borrowing _it.

I opened another cabinet, seeing a tube of numbing gel. Actually, there's more than one.

However, I'm still gonna write a note to her, letting her know that I just borrowed one, that way I won't get in trouble in fear that she won't let me come and see her in case I injured myself or anything.

Taking the first tube of numbing gel, hoping that it'll work, into my pocket. Then I went back to her desk, taking out a piece of printer and a pen that was on the desktop, quickly writing a note and who's it from. I hope she can read my handwriting because it looks terrible.

Walking out of the office, I felt a dread of guilt, thinking that I'm gonna be in huge trouble. What do all the doctors do when one their patients took something that doesn't belong to them? Send them to jail? That thought made me more anxious than ever.

Let's hope that no one saw me take something from the nurse's office.

* * *

Arriving back at the room, I saw Jackson lying on his bed. I thought that he was asleep, but it turns out that he was just resting his eyes, hearing my footsteps on the floor.

"Hi," he greeted in his usual tone of voice before noticing something. "What's wrong?" he questioned. "You look like you commited a crime or something."

I bit the tip of my tongue. "I…" At first I didn't want to tell him, but I decided to. I hate keeping secrets from people. "I went to give back ice pack back to the the nurse, only she wasn't in the office, so I decided to just put it away myself in the freezer where she keeps the other ice packs in, when my forehead started to feel life fire again from these stupid stitches. At first, I decided to borrow one of the ice packs, when I realize that even though they do help, the pain from the stitches would just keep coming back, so...I..." Not wanting to explain any further, I just took the object out of my pocket.

"You took numbing gel from the nurse's office without the nurse being there?!" I couldn't tell if Jackson was mad or was shocked after getting his reaction.

"Jackson, I'm sorry," I quickly said, now feeling like a bad person. "I can go to the nurse's office and just...deal with the pain in my forehead." I lowered my eyes to the floor. "Even though I had a splitting headache that made me sick," I muttered.

"Are you okay?" he said with great concern.

I flipped my hand in a simple and fine manner. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Don't know why that happened. I guess it's because I felt like a thief for taking this," I believed, referring to the item in my hand. "I did leave a note for the nurse…" I put the object on the dresser. "So if she sees it, she can just come here...and just take it..." I hung my head and sat down on my bed, grabbing the stuff bear in my hands, giving it a good squeeze. "...and she and everyone who works here and can just... kick me out." I lifted my head up to see a different look from him. "...what...?"

"You think that patients get kicked out for taking something?" The only answer I can give him is a nod. "Hazel..." Jackson sat down next to me, placing his arm around me. "The people who work here don't kick their patients out."

"You're right... They send them to jail," I merely answered, thinking the obvious.

"What? No." Jackson shook his head. "Why would they do that, too? Since you mentioned that you left a note for the nurse, explaining why you took- I mean- borrow the numbing cream, I'm sure she'll understand. She's a very nice lady and everyone loves her. Now..." He got up from my bed. "...let's go and eat."

Thinking about what he told me, along with the request, I just couldn't help but feel bad for what I did. Even though the nurse won't get mad at me for leaving a note for her, I think I should tell her in person. Not only that, my stomach rumbled. Okay...I have to admit, I am pretty hungry and I probably should eat or else I'm gonna be hungry all night until breakfast tomorrow.

"Alright, I'll go eat." Setting my stuff bear down, I got up and picked up the numbing cream. "Just let me put this stuff on first." Walking into the bathroom, I went over to the sink. I was expecting the creepy image of my reflection. But no, just a normal one of myself.

After placing a bit of the cream on my stitches, I can tell it was working because how cold it felt, feeling like ice.

Besides, the cream is very clear, so no knows that I put that stuff on.

Still, whenever I see the nurse, I should just tell her straight off the bat.

Stepping out of the bathroom, I set the small tube back on the dresser, then decided to put it in one of the drawers in case Rosy comes here and finds out.

After doing so, I spoke. "Let's go and eat before I starve."

Jackson chuckled with his mouth closed, taking my hand and taking me over to the cafe, in all hopes that there's still some food left.

* * *

It turns out that they still have food left, after all. Not only that, the ladies told us to take as much food as we want, considering how hungry I am since I didn't get anything to eat, and neither did Jackson. I kept my guard up, worrying about that one guy. Jackson told me not to be concerned and that he would be on the lookout for him. Not that he would come back for me. But if Jackson wants to, that's fine by me as long as he doesn't get hurt again.

Taking out trays of food to our table, I was relieved that no one else is in the cafe, leaving us the only ones in there.

I sat down, picking up my fork and began eating. I didn't eat to fast, not wanting to get a stomachache. I just ate slowly, chewing and tasting my food, and not wanting to choke. And I have to admit, this Chinese food is really good.

Too bad that not everyone gets any since it's so popular. I feel bad for those patients who didn't get any.

Cleaning off my plate, I picked up my glass of water and took a long drink.

That's when Jackson shook his head, laughing a bit. "Full now?" he joked, doing his best to break the dullness between us.

I brushed my hair back with my fingers and answered in not an amused tone. "Yeah...I am." I turned my head towards the window, seeing a full moon lifting up to the sky, the stars shimmering. They look so...pretty. I never seen stars being that bright before in my life. Hm... Maybe I'll be lucky enough to see...

"A shooting star!" I jumped when Jackson exclaimed that word, startling me greatly. "Look!" he pointed. "There's another one." Recovering from my startled state, I saw lots of stars streaking across the night sky. Are we having a meteorite storm…? I never seen shooting stars in my life... "Why don't you make a wish?" he suggested me. "Because I know what _I'm _gonna wish for," he couldn't help but grin.

"What are you going to wish for?" I flicked my hair behind my ear.

"I can't tell you, or else it won't come true," he winked, giving me that nice smirk of his. "So." He picked up his glass of water. "What about you? What are you gonna wish for?" he asked.

I put my hand on my cheek, watching the stars streak by across from the window, shrugging my shoulders. "I'm not sure what to wish for..." I responded in all honesty, feeling very tired. I got up from my chair, letting out a yawn, covering up my mouth. "I'm going to bed...so I can start my combo medication tomorrow morning." If this new medication doesn't work, I don't know what I'm going to do... for the rest of my life.

Heading to the bedroom, I saw Trevor standing there in the middle of the hallway. Oh great... Here we go again... So with a heavy and grumbled sigh, I pretended that he wasn't there, ignoring him completely, not wanting him to bruise me. By the way, my arm is sore, like, real sore... Maybe Rosy is right, the bruises will go away in three days.

As I walked past this idiot, I can feel his eyes on me. And not in a good way... Why do I feel like something terrible is gonna happen? To me, he's gonna end up following me to the bedroom.

Turns out my prediction came true because by the time I got to me and Jackson's room, that damn, raggedy haired boy was right behind me, stopping me from going into that room.

Of course, I didn't even want to deal with this...person. So I gave him the taste of my mind.

"Excuse me, but can you _please _go away," I shooed, my eyes staring at his face. "I don't want _you_-" I pointed at him. "-to hurt me anymore. I was already beaten during my childhood from my god family. Mainly from my god father who'll beat me every, single day with his weapon of choice; a leather strap. So if you don't leave, mister, I'm just gonna go get Jackson, or either Rosy, or any person that I can trust other than you."

His eyes seemed to dig into me, and I didn't stopped staring back at him, in all hope that he'll just take my hint and leave me alone. I'm a girl. I shouldn't be afraid of boys, even though this dude almost broke my arm, smacking me on the forehead during the process. "Why would I go away?" I broke my gaze and automatically flinched when he replied to me, not being nice about it. "What makes you think I'm gonna leave you alone after what that jerk did to me?" he questioned in an irritated tone of voice. "You got me in trouble and Rosy told me to, like, stay away from you." He stepped forward and I took a step back, pressing myself against the door. "I don't want to leave you alone..." he spoke, sweeping his hand over his hair, smoothing it down on his head. "So," he continued, taking my chin. "Let's just go to my room and-Ow!" he cried in alarm, jerking his hand away from me. "Why did you bit me!?"

"Gee... I don't know," I answered back in sarcasm after he shouted at me. "I believe I did that so you can _leave me alone!_" I grabbed the door handle, turned it, and opened the door. I went into me and Jackson's room, slamming the door in the process.

I screamed when he began beating on the other side with me holding the door closed. "Let me in, you stupid girl so we can- Oh, forget it! I'll deal with you later." I heard his footsteps walk away from the other side, having me release a breath of relief.

"What a coward..." I couldn't help but mutter. "Nothing but a complete coward." Going over to the window, my eyes watched the shooting stars, still going across the dark sky, the moonlight streaming through the window with no clouds at all.

I released a heavy and sad sigh, sitting down on my bed, grabbing the stuff bear, burrowing my face into its fake fur, thinking on a wish that I, and need, to wish for. A wish that I want to come true, but...wishes never come true. They never do... Back when I was a child, I wished the one night that my god family would treat me with lots of love and respect...

The wish ended up failing... I can almost feel Jeff slapping me with every hit he gave me, to 'punish' me for things that I didn't do. To this day, I don't understand why he'll hit me for no reason. I don't think he knows that...hitting a child is...

A tear slipped out of the corner of my eye. I don't want to think about that one word. That one word where children, like me, went through... I blame Travis for making my life terrible... I blame Jeff and Kelly... I blame those school kids back in kindergarten... I'll never give them any trust except the ones that have been nice to me. You know who they are, I don't have to say their names...

I laid down on the covers, my face being covered up by the stuffed animal, a wish coming into my head. I didn't say out loud. I just...said it in my mind. I didn't want to wish too hard, not knowing it'll come true or not, and it's worth a try.

To my surprise, my wish did end up coming true.


	21. Chapter 21: Finding Out

**Chapter 21: Finding Out**

* * *

**?**

* * *

I watched Hazel sleep with an evil grin on my face. I love how she freaks out when she can't see me unless she looks into a mirror and when she can only hear me, like I'm right next to her. She doesn't know who I am, at all. She believes I'm part of her illness. Heh. Guess what, my dear?

Hm...actually, I'll wait for the right moment. I don't like to start off early, even though I appeared the second time when I spoke to her after she received those stitches while she was talking to herself, with me giving her a great startle when she saw me.

I glanced over at Jackson, sleeping on his own bed. I don't care about him. He's not my problem, it's this stupid girl that's right in front of me. God, I wish I can just do my thing now that I wanted to do for a long time. Only I don't want to do it right away.

That reminded me when I told her that I was the one she 'sees' and 'hears' because both my voice and image sound the same. Not only that, I don't think she knows the truth about her life, and...well… Why tell it now? It's a lot more fun to see her miserable unless she doesn't take that new medication by tomorrow. And if she does...I'll pretend that I'm gone. Heh...spoiler alert. I don't like to keep secrets, either. Hey, me and her are like...twins in a way. Heh, heh.

I walked over to her and kept on staring at her, wondering if she's having that dream of Travis. I'm like him. Cruel and mean, getting her hurt like she did to her own self. That made me want to laugh out loud when she did that.

It's no fun to wait, but I have to use patients. When she does take that combo, I'll just pretend to leave, making her _think _that she felt better. My plan is to...wait, why tell it now? That's one secret I'll keep. Huh. Now when I think about it, I'm not sure if I told her this or not. Well, I did tell her that I'll find a way to get rid of her. Did I say I wanted to take her place? I can't remember.

Oh well, that's fine with me. Still, does she know who she really is? Can't wait for her to find out. The hard way. She may be brave and tough when it comes to those _Goosebumps _monsters, except she won't when I, and soon, appear to her someday. Will I appear at another mirror?

Shrug. I don't know...

However, I'm never gonna leave her. For now I'm gonna keep my voice off and let her see her own self, her own _regular _self for now on, starting tomorrow. Yeah… I'm not sure if you understand or not about this but...

Wait, still not going to reveal it yet. Too early for that.

Someday, my dear, I'll take over your place and to successfully get rid of you, Hazel. You're gonna think that I'm part of you illness until you know the truth when the time is right.

I can't wait to get started...

* * *

**Hannah**

* * *

I decided to go back home before my dad calls me on my new phone that he got me several months ago since my last one got broken at Horrorland. I've been at Zach's house until sundown, thinking it was the best option to go home.

I gave Zach a goodnight kiss. "See you tomorrow," I spoke in all happiness. "I'll see you at school. Glad tomorrow is Friday," I said with a small chuckle.

Zack chuckled, too. "Yep," he replied, playing with my hair. "Not only that, I can't wait for Hazel to come back home. I hope she isn't traumatized at that mental hospital she is at. Not only that, I actually can't wait for her to go to real school like you told me."

"Yeah…" I nodded my head. "The principal is going to sign her up on the classes that we have, and my dad wants her in his class that you're in."

"Cool." He smiled, giving me a hug. "Call me when you need me, okay?"

I pulled away from him. "Don't worry, scaredy-cat, I'll be fine. I'm not going to let out that scream that I did before."

"Heh." He let out a laugh. "Yeah. Of course you wouldn't," he grinned. "So I'll see you tomorrow, right?" he repeated.

I gave him a nod. "That's right, scaredy-cat."

Zach couldn't help but to let out another laugh. "Are you keep calling me that?"

"Maybe," I shrugged. "You did jump ten feet high when I startled you while you were taking the trash out."

"Oh, yeah," Zach remembered with a small smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Again, call me if you need me."

"Zach, I'll be fine," I repeated my reassurance, not wanting him to worry. "It's not like one of the monsters got free from the new manuscript." Zach knew I was joking because he let a chuckle since there is no way that any of my dad's creations got loose. "See you tomorrow." I gave him a goodnight wave, heading to my house.

Opening the door of my home, I entered inside, kicking my shoes off. "Dad, I'm home." I listened for his reply. "Dad, I'm home," I called out again. Nothing. "Dad?" I walked upstairs to the study room to see him at his desk. "Dad?"

"Huh?" He dropped his pen, turning to see me standing at the door. "Hey, sweetheart," he greeted with a yawn. "Did you _behave _over at Zach's place?" he asked me in a father-like-tone.

"Yes, dad," I answered with a playful eye roll. "I didn't get into trouble and yes, Zach did his homework, too." I looked at him. "You look tired," I commented.

Dad sighed. "I know... I've been grading all my classes' stories." He straightened out all the papers, putting them into the suitcase, then closed it. "You want anything to eat?" he said.

"Sure, how about pizza?" I requested.

"Great, I'll order it." Dad went out the study room, going downstairs to get the phone to call in a pizza delivery. "Do you want anything on the pizza?" I heard him call from downstairs.

"No, just plain cheese pizza," I hollered back. I took off my hair tie, letting my hair loose as it fell past my shoulders. I put my hair tie on my wrist, heading to my room to grab fresh pj's and everything else so I can take a hot shower.

That's when I heard something in one of the guest rooms. At first, I thought it was my imagination, thinking that I was just hearing things. Except I keep hearing it, sounding like angry gibberish, not being able to make out the words.

I passed my room, going down the hallway, making sure I don't make any other noises then the one I'm hearing.

I stopped at one of the guest rooms, the second one, placing my hand on the doorknob. I turned it, slowly opening up the door to see something underneath the covers. It looked like a size of a child, only that doesn't make any sense, at all. Me and Hazel are the only children here in this house. Well, dad didn't take her in as a daughter even though she's living with us. However, it'll be...cool to have a sister...

The gibberish became more and more louder to the point that I wanted to know what it is. I walked towards the bed in a cautious manner.

Once I got to the bed, I grabbed the covers and yanked them away.

I froze at an instinct, shocked to what my eyes are seeing on the bed before me, not believing what I was looking at.

There on the bed...was my dad's evil and devilious creation of all time...right there, right in front of me...

It turns out that he was surprised to see me than I was with this… thing. He opened his mouth and spoke.

"Uh...hello?" he said.

That's when I let out a terrified scream that echoed around the house.

* * *

**Slappy**

* * *

I laid underneath the covers, my whole wooden body covered up. I am still mad at Stine for requesting me to apologize to Hazel for the thing I did to her. To me, that girl is a brat. A complete brat who tried to stop me.

Ugh, I really _hate _that girl! She ruined everything, getting into my path on my revenge on Stine. I should've gotten rid of her! It's all her fault!

I began muttering in a low tone in a gibberish way whenever a person- or monster- gets angry at something or someone.

I kept on talking in this low tone, gibberish voice, that I hadn't even heard the door open. Adding to that, I felt the covers being pulled off, and for a split second, I saw someone standing at the side of the bed, frozen.

At first, I thought it was Hazel until I realized it was Stine's daughter, the one who replaced me, the one I tried to get rid of so she wouldn't ever see that Zach kid again.

We both kept staring at each other. The room was filled with a deep, set of silence. She was stunned to see me, just like how I'm stunned to see her. She didn't even move, at all. It looks like she was about to scream, too, so I opened up my mouth and spoke.

"Uh...hello?" I cut off the silence, not sure how she'll actually react to seeing me there on the bed. And right after I let those two words out, she let out this ear piercing scream and ran right out of the room before coming back with a bat in her hands. She lifted the bat over her head, swinging towards my head. "Whoa!" I rolled off the bed with a startled cry, landing on my wooden stomach. I quickly got up, raising my hands like I'm surrendering a fight or something. "No, listen-" But I quickly had to move away to avoid the weapon in her hands. "Ah!" I let out another cry, the bat missing by an inch of my head.

Hannah tried to beat me but I was too fast for her, even running around the guest room with her chasing after me from behind.

"Get back here, you wooden demon!" she proclaimed, not refusing to stop whatsoever. "Stop, you...you...you creepy..._monster_," she managed to say.

"Nice comeback," I answered sarcastically. "And I thought you're gonna be surprised to see me," I added in, but she completely ignored it.

"Stay still!" All of a sudden, she threw the bat, having it smack of the back of my neck, with me falling to the floor face first. I sat up, shaking my head, getting rid of the sudden dizziness that came to me. I was about to say something to her, only for her to start screaming, running out of the room. "Dad! Dad! _Daaad!_" she screeched at the top of her lungs. "_DAAAAAAAAAAAD!" _I heard her run down the steps, looking for Stine.

I just got up and walked out the room with no care at all. I also wanted to see how Stine would deal with this situation.

I got downstairs in time to see his daughter freaking over me.

"Dad, Slappy got out of the book!" she started to tell him in a raised voice. "I was hearing some kind of muttering in one of the guest rooms and saw..._him_." By the time she said that, she saw me step into the living room, grabbing one of the vases from one of the small tables. "Get back!" She was about to throw the item at me when Stine gently grabbed a hold of her. "Let go, I need to destroy that dummy!" she declared, trying to squirm free from his grip, and I let out a hiss when she called me the D word. "Let go!" she repeated.

"Hannah, calm down..." Stine told her in a very settled voice, keeping her in place. "Give me the vase," he said after she was done struggling, finally letting go of her. She handed him the vase who put it back on one of the small tables. "Now, let me explain-"

"How did you get out the new manuscript?" Hannah interrupted Stine, going over to me. I stepped back due to my weakness from the scratch marks on my face. "Huh?" she questioned in an irrigating manner. "How did you get out of the new manuscript?" she asked again. I opened my mouth to say something. "Answer me, you gremlin!" she began to demand, not giving me a chance to speak...at all. "Tell me, or else you're turning into firewood," she threatened, about to pounce on me. I still didn't answer her, not knowing how to react at her angry expression. I would've shut her mouth, except I know that Stine wouldn't allow that to happen, not alone hurt her due to the fact of how protective he is of her. "Do I have to make you answer?" She was about to start yelling when Stine grabbed ahold of her again. "Hey-!" Stine started to push his daughter out of the living room before looking over his shoulder.

"Go back upstairs," he instructed me.

"Why?" I asked, not liking the idea. "I want to see how you'll-"

"Go! _Upstairs!_" he yelled through clenched teeth. "I'll tell her everything. Go upstairs, now." He leaned towards Hannah's ear and spoke. "Into the dining room," he whispered to her. Hannah looked at me with untrusted eyes. Then she walked towards the dining room, her dad right behind her. He stopped again to look back at me one last time. "After I'm done explaining, I'll get to you to see if you thought about apologizing to Hazel and to see if you want to fix our relationship." He waited for me to go back to the guest room.

So with a heavy sigh, I teleported back there, closing the door, pressing my wooden ear, ready for what he had to say to his so-called daughter and replacement.

"Hannah...listen..." I heard Stine began, only he was cut off by my replacement.

"Why?" I listened to her voice out angrily, clearly mad. "And when? When did you...you...released that...demon?" Even though she didn't say the D word again, I felt offended for calling me that...even though it's true.

"Hannah, just let me ex-" Stine tried again, but I can hear Hannah cutting him off again.

"Explain? Explain _what? _That you released your most _evilest _creations of all time? You thought it was a _good idea _to do that?" I can tell she was getting more angry by the second. "Dad, do you realize what you had _done? _When Hazel comes home, she's gonna freak when she sees that wooden gremlin. Don't you _remember _how she reacted when Maniac mentioned that dummy's name?" My wooden brows lowered, hearing her say that D word out of her mouth. "She basically had a panic attack and she told me that she's _afraid _of those kind of things." There was a pause. "How... How can you do this?"

There was silence, and I kept my ear open, continuing to eavesdrop when I heard Stine explained the real reason why he let me out of the new manuscript that he had written to catch me and my 'friends' to trap us all in.

"Hannah... I did it because...I want me and him to fix our relationship...and...I told him that he needed to...apologize to Hazel...for what he has done to her...by biting her and...hurting her..." He sounded guilty for not telling my replacement from the beginning of all this.

But his daughter didn't seem to agree to this. "You think you can _change him? _Dad, he's so evil! And evil things, like that chop wood in a tuxedo, _never _feel bad for what they did."

Hearing all of this, I heard the front door open. "Hannah!" Great, it's that Zach kid who ruined my revenge on Stine. "Hannah, are you alright?" Ugh! I _hate _that damn kid! Why can't he just live somewhere else? "Hannah!" he continued to call out. I wanted to go downstairs, wanting him to back off. Only I didn't, not wanting him to see me and throw me into a fire pit or something. I heard him run to another room, possibly the dining room. "Hannah..." From upstairs, I can hear him with a worried tone in his voice. "Are you alright?" he asked the same question. Why does he sound like that around her? "Why did you scream? It sounded like you saw something."

Great... He's gonna find out, too, I thought to myself. I swear, if that Hannah girl tells him that Stine let me out of the new manuscript, I'm gonna-

My second thought never got the chance to finish when I heard Stine spoke up. "She saw a mouse." A mouse...? "That's why she screamed like that." Yeah, she screams like a Banshee.

"Oh, okay," Zach's voice responded. "Thanks for telling me. And I'm sorry for not knocking on the door." I rolled my eyes when he said the word 'sorry'. A word that I'll not use at all towards Hazel whenever she gets home from that mental hospital or whatever Stine told me where she's at.

I hope she's there forever.

"That's quite alright, Zach," Stine returned.

I then heard Zach chuckle. "Didn't think you'll be afraid of a mouse."

That comment was directed towards Hannah when she gave her answer to him. "It just...surprised me, that's all. We never had mice or rats come to our house. But it'll show up again."

"Alright. Well... I better get back home. Again, sorry for barging into the house." I then heard him walk out of the dining room to the kitchen to the living, and out the front door, closing it shut.

"Good...he didn't find out..."

Uh huh... He didn't find out yet, Stine. And by the time he does, he'll turn me into wood shavings.

"You do realize that Zach's gonna find out, right, dad?" Wow.. she had the same thought that I had. "And Hazel has a fear of dolls and dummies." That word... That D word. "Why would you do this!?"

"Hannah, I already explained it to you..."

"Well, you shouldn't have done that. Slappy is _evil _and he's never gonna say sorry to Hazel."

"Hannah..." I can hear Stine's voice began to lower.

"By the time he's 'reformed', he's gonna stab us in the back-"

_**"HANNAH FAIRCHILD STINE, THAT'S ENOUGH!" **_He raised his voice in a high volume. There was a long pause. "Hannah... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout out like that at you..."

"It's okay, dad. I just don't trust that dummy..."

I didn't want to listen anymore... I was so angry...so upset to what his daughter had told him. I teleported out the guess room, grabbed a paper and a red pen before going back to the guest room, writing a short note, throwing it on the bed and smashed the window with my fist, the glass splintering onto the floor.

I got out of the room through the broken window and, due to my weak state, I didn't land very well onto the ground. I let out a painful grunt when I landed on my stomach.

I got back up, seeing grass stains on my tux.

I didn't care... Didn't care, at all. I started running, knowing which place to go to...not wanting to come back.

And I don't trust Stine, either, knowing that he's lying to me about 'fixing our relationship'. Not only that, I'll won't say sorry to that Hazel girl. I changed my mind. Monsters like me never felt sorry for anything.

However, the only thing I'm...upset about is that I know that Stine is just going to trap me back in the book...

When I got to the place, I went somewhere to hide and I did, lowering my head, sadly.

I'm never coming back.

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

I set the phone down when I heard a shrill scream from upstairs. Uh oh... Looks like Hannah discovered Slappy in one of the guest rooms... This can't be good. I can hear her yelling out at him very clearly.

"Get back here, you wooden demon!" I heard her cry out, along with running around as I just stood there in the living room, just listening. "Stop, you...you...you creepy..._monster_." I almost smirked when she tried to think up an insulting word for him.

I heard Slappy voice make a response, sounding sarcastic about it. "Nice comeback." Then I heard him add, "And I thought you're gonna be surprised to see me."

"Stay still!" That's when I heard a loud smack, like wood hitting wood. Ow...for Slappy, I bet that's gotta hurt. "Dad! Dad! _Daaad!_" Her voice rang from the house. "_DAAAAAAAAAAAD!" _Her shrill voice didn't stop when I began to hear her run down the steps, going right to the living room with a look of panic and fear. "Dad, Slappy got out of the book." Hannah's voice was high while I listened to her. "I was hearing some kind of muttering in one of the guest rooms and saw..._him_," she explained, starting to get all work up. That's when we both saw Slappy stepped into the same room. She snatched one of vases from the small tables, raising it. "Get back!" she cried, prepared to throw the valuable item. But before she can even do it, I grabbed her, stopping her from what she was about to do. "Let go, I need to destroy that dummy!" she shouted, only she wasn't strong enough to pull free from my grasp. I heard Slappy make a hiss sound. "Let go!" I didn't free her, ignoring her protest.

"Hannah, calm down..." I restrained, not yelling, as I kept her in one spot. "Give me the vase." She stopped struggling, giving me a chance to let go of her. She then handed me back the vase, and I put it back where it belongs. "Now, let me explain-"

I would have done it, only Hannah cut me off as she questioned Slappy. "How did you get out the new manuscript?" She stepped towards him and he took a step back which, in all honesty, surprised me because Slappy is so...evil. He actually seems...weak...and...not knowing how to...defend himself anymore. "Huh?" She gave him a blazing look, her tone not very nice. "How did you get out of the new manuscript?" She didn't stop questioning him. "Answer me, you gremlin!" she said angrily, not giving him a chance to speak. "Tell me, or else you're turning into firewood," she seized, as if she wanted pounce on him. It didn't seem like Slappy knows how to deal with this situation that his in front of him. My eyes were on both of them; Hannah and Slappy. I don't want either of them going at each other's throats, not wanting them to get hurt. "Do I have to make you answer?" That's when I stepped from behind her, grabbing her shoulders for the second time. "Hey-!" she began to protest with me taking her to another room, looking down at Slappy.

"Go back upstairs," I told him.

Slappy narrowed his brows at me, not liking the idea. "Why? I want to see how you'll-"

I gritted my teeth together. "Go! _Upstairs!_" I proceeded through them, not wanting to argue with him right now. "I'll tell her everything. Go upstairs, now," I repeated my instruction. "Into the dining room," I directed to Hannah in a whispery voice, right close to her ear. Before she did that, she gave Slappy a hateful look and headed to the dining room. "After I'm done explaining, I'll get to you to see if you thought about apologizing to Hazel and to see if you want to fix our relationship," I spoke back to my creation. I waited for him to go back up to the guess room.

He let out a heavy sigh, teleporting back to the guess room. I heard the door shut from up there.

Let's hope he isn't going to eavesdrop...

Entering the dining room, Hannah had her arms crossed over her chest. I swept my hand over my hair like I always do. I sighed, feeling guilty for her to find out about this and for not telling her about Slappy being out of the new manuscript right away.

Not wanting to keep it in anymore, I opened my mouth to speak. "Hannah...listen..."

"Why?" Hannah said, interrupting me. "And when? When did you...you...released that...demon?"

"Hannah, just let me ex-"

"Explain? Explain _what? _That you released your most _evilest _creations of all time? You thought it was a _good idea _to do that?" she threw out, cutting me off again. "Dad, do you realize what you have _done?_" she stated, looking at me with a mad look. When Hazel comes home, she's gonna freak when she sees that wooden gremlin. Don't you _remember _how she reacted when Maniac mentioned that dummy's name? She basically had a panic attack and she told me that she's _afraid _of those kind of things." She stopped for a second, pausing. "How... How can you do this?" she asked.

Silence filled the room while she waited for my answer. I gripped the chair, looking at my daughter straight into her eyes.

"Hannah... I did it because...I want me and him to fix our relationship...and...I told him that he needed to...apologize to Hazel...for what he has done to her...by biting her and...hurting her..." My words came out slow when I gave her my answer, wondering if she would agree to this.

"You think you can _change him? _Dad, he's so evil! And evil things, like that chop wood in a tuxedo, _never _feel bad for what they did." Okay... she doesn't agree with my idea.

We then heard the door, the front door, swing open, and I heard Zach from the living room. "Hannah! Hannah, are you alright?" His footsteps came closer and closer. "Hannah!" he hollered. "Hannah..." He manage to find us, passing by me. I didn't mind and I knew he didn't do it on purpose as he walked up to my daughter. "Are you alright?" he repeated, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Why did you scream? It sounded like you saw something."

Shoot! I better come up with something quick, or else she's gonna tell him that I let Slappy out of the new manuscript. Think, Stine, think.

Hannah opened her mouth but I answered right before she did.

"She saw a mouse. That's why she screamed like that."

"Oh, okay," Zach replied, taking her hands off of her, believing my answer. "Thanks for telling me. And I'm sorry for not knocking on the door," he apologized.

I gave him a small nod. "That's quite alright, Zach."

"Didn't think you'll be afraid of a mouse," he then chuckled towards Hannah.

Hannah bit her lip, glancing at me then right back at her boyfriend. "It just...surprised me, that's all," she told him. "We never had mice or rats come to our house. But it'll show up again."

Zach nodded his head. "Alright. Well... I better get back home. Again, sorry for barging into the house."

After that, we watched him walk out of the dining room to the front door. I heard the door clicked shut, and I let out a relieved sigh. "Good... he didn't find out..." I breathed out, glad that I can come up with a lie.

Hannah walked up to me. "You do realize that Zach's gonna find out, right, dad?" she mentioned. "And Hazel has a fear of dolls and dummies. Why would you do this!?" she yelled.

I sighed. "Hannah, I already explained it to you..."

"Well, you shouldn't have done that. Slappy is _evil _and he's never gonna say sorry to Hazel," she let out.

I gave her a warning look. "Hannah..." I changed my tone of voice, not wanting to argue with her.

"By the time he's 'reformed', he's gonna stab us in the back-"

_**"HANNAH FAIRCHILD STINE, THAT'S ENOUGH!" **_Hannah took a few steps back from me after I let out that aggressive holler, saying her full name, as she gave me a startled look in her eyes. "Hannah... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout out like that at you..." I walked up to my daughter, wrapping my arms around her.

She pulled away from me, her eyes looking down at the floor. "It's okay, dad. I just don't trust that dummy..." she spoke. She lifted her head up and continued on. "Not only that, I know that Hazel going to freak out. Did she tell you that she's afraid of dolls and dummies?"

I thought about it. "She did told me that Slappy freaks her out..." I recalled. "So that basically counts. But Hannah, you have to understand. I missed Slappy. Just like how both me and Zach missed you." I smiled at her and it went away when I almost forgot about someone. "I even miss Hazel, too..."

Hannah brushed her hair behind her ear. "Same goes for me... But dad, what are we going to do? Is Slappy _really _gonna change?" She still didn't believe that would happen.

I bit my lip. "Don't worry, this is all on me. I'm the one who set him free, and I'm the one who needs to help him." I took off my glasses, cleaning the lenses with my shirt. "I'll even try to think of away for Hazel to get used to him, too," I decided.

Hannah arched a brow. "I don't know… I don't think she's the kind of person that gets used to new things right away."

"Don't worry, I don't care how long it takes. Now I need to go upstairs and talk to-"

A loud smash chopped me off, sounding like glass. We both looked at each other and ran to the steps, running upstairs.

Hoping that Slappy broke something by accident, I burst the door open, seeing a broken window, the glass all over the floor. No Slappy. He isn't the guest room anymore.

I stopped Hannah, preventing her from coming into the guest room. I didn't want her to step on any of the sharp, broken glass.

Walking towards the window, I inspected it.

I put my head down. Looks like I need to buy a new window... I didn't know he can smash up a window like that. Did he heard our talk?

Trying to figure out the answer, my eyes caught something on the bed. A piece of paper with a note on it. I picked it up and read it.

_Don't find me_, the note said.

It was a very short message, not long at all.

Even though his name isn't on the note, I know that he has written it. I read the note couple of times. I looked at Hannah. "Call your friends."

"It's late," she answered.

I walked up to her. "Call your friends," I instructed, repeating it. "It isn't that late. It's eleven o'clock. Call Zach and Champ and tell them to come here."

Knowing that I meant business, she responded back. "Okay. Let's make sure they're aren't asleep," Hannah hoped for the best. She took out her new phone, leaving the room, punching the first phone number.

As she was doing that, I looked down at the window, expecting him to be just lying on the ground.

He wasn't there… I saw dark clouds rolling by when they let out a rumble, sounding very deep and menacing.

Staring out the window for a whole minute, I forced myself away from it, heading downstairs to the living room to wait for the boys to arrive.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

For some reason, I woke up and it wasn't even morning yet. Why am I awake? I went onto my right side, facing the wall, seeing if that'll help me get back to sleep. I tossed onto my other side, but that didn't help, either. I went onto my back, gripping the fake fur of Hannah's teddy bear, looking up at the ceiling.

I couldn't get back to sleep for some reason. I need to get back to sleep or else I'll look like a zombie coming out from its gravestone...or a ghost. In that case, I rather not be any of those things.

I rolled onto my stomach, closing my eyes. But no sleep came to me. Ever. I began to get irritated at this point. I turned onto my back once again, placing my pillow over my face, getting covered up in darkness. Now I couldn't breathe and took the pillow off my face before I suffocated. Yeah... I just discovered right away that I don't like having a pillow over my face to help me get back to sleep, which failed. Damn. I _really _to get to sleep. If I don't, I'll...

Frustration got to me and my anger filled my chest up.

I sat up, grabbed the pillow and, without thinking twice, I threw the pillow over at Jackson's bed, jolting awake. "Huh-?" he choked out with an awake snort. I saw a bit of saliva run down his chin. Was he drooling in his sleep...? He rubbed his eyes, squinting them at me. "Hazel...? Why are you awake?" he asked me, switching the light on.

The bright light made me shut my eyes. "I don't know..." I responded once I opened my eyes back up. "What time is it?" I wondered.

"It's..." Jackson looked at the clock. "Ten thirty at night." He pushed the blankets off him, grabbing my pillow that was on his bed. He stood up, walking over to me, handing the pillow back. I took it, setting it back on my bed. "You... can't fall back asleep?" he said.

"...yeah..." I nodded my head and answered. "I don't know why, though..." Setting the stuff toy onto the mattress, I got up, going up to the window, the moonlight hitting the floor. I let out a sigh, kneeling down, placed my arms on the window sill, resting my chin on them. "Is it normal for a person to wake up at this hour?" I couldn't help but to think out loud.

I felt Jackson placed a hand on my shoulder, not minding about for one bit, answering my question. "It's pretty normal. Do you want me to get you some water?" he offered.

"Sure... If you want to, that is..."

He let out a smile and left the room. Where is he going to get water? The cafe is closed at this time.

I looked over towards my cot, my eyes landing on the violin case. Hmm... Should I play it? Or should I not...? Dr. Williams did told me that playing an instrument helps lift the bad feelings off of me... only...what if I wake someone up?

I should just...stroke a finger on one of the strings, and not use the bow. Will that keep the people in this special place from waking up? The one way to find out it to just...play. I walked over to the case, opening it up. I took the violin out, leaving the bow absent.

Just to use one finger to strum one of the strings. That's all you need to do, Hazel. So instead of properly using it, I put it on my lap, picking at one of the strings, such as the last one. It made a sound, not very loudly as I was expecting. I hope there are heavy sleepers in this place...

Wanting to feel more comfortable, I went back onto my bed, laying down, the instrument on my stomach where I can reach the strings. I stroke the last string a couple of more times, then went to the second last string. It was a bit louder, but not too loud to wake the whole building up that is held by hundreds of patients and doctors, including the nurse and janitors, as well as other people that are here.

I transferred my pointer finger back onto the last string, playing it. No song. No song, whatsoever. That's what I did... I can already feel the heavy dread get off of me, like it was weighing me down for a long time... Is it normal to feel relaxed when you play any kind of instrument? I believe that it does...

I continued to lay on my mattress of my bed, looking at the ceiling, catching the string noises into my ears. I can also feel the string beat in my heart...feeling at ease. I guess both music and reading those _Goosebumps _books help me forget about the bad things that happened to me back in the past. Especially... _him_.

Travis...

I began to feel a tad angry when his name came into my brain, like he was haunting me. I remembered what he looked like… I played the string a bit more roughly, this time thinking I'll wake someone up from their slumber. Thank God, no one did.

Travis stayed in my mind for awhile, as I began thinking about those dreams that I had about him. Do dreams like that come true...? Those dreams of him felt...real... And what about that empty house from my first dream about that jerk? Not only that...he gave me a hint on my final dream of him, causing me to wake up last night.

I shouldn't think things like this; like dreams. Dreams create lots of things in people's minds when their bodies shut down during the night... People would either have good dreams, bad dreams, or nightmares.

If I dream about him again, I don't want to end up mumbling and crying in my sleep...except...I never get past it. Like Stine mention, some people mumble in their sleep, nothing for me to feel bad about. Plus, I can't blame him for adding that he never heard people _cry _in their sleep, like I do when I have a terrible dream or nightmare.

Continuing to mess with the violin string, I saw Jackson coming back into the room with a water bottle.

I sat up when he handed it to me. "Where did you get a water bottle?" I said, taking it. It felt cold like ice. I took the cap off, seeing water inside the plastic bottle. "The cafe is closed at this time of day," I told him, surprised that he actually got water for me.

"There's a room where patients like to hang out," he answered. "There's a fridge there with types of drinks inside it. It's mostly water, but sometimes they'll have soda or juice," he grinned.

"Oh... Well... That makes sense..." I stared at the clear liquid. "...I guess..." I added before taking a few sips, not wanting to upset my stomach. I put the cap back on. "Aren't you going to get in trouble for sneaking out the room?"

"What? No." He let out a laugh. "Why would you think that?"

I shrugged. "I don't know..." I kinda mumbled out for him to hear. "I...didn't mean to ask..." I got up to put my violin away.

"Were you just playing that?" I stopped and faced him when he opened his mouth to speak. "Because I heard that from down the hallway," he explained, sounding find about it.

For some reason, my face turned bright red on the feeling from him. "I..." I tried to think up for my own explanation. "...just wanted to...play it to lift the feelings I don't want off my chest." Really, Hazel? That's all you can say? 'Play to lift the feelings off your chest?' I scolded myself.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, putting the instrument back in the case and closed it shut. "I shouldn't be 'playing' with my instrument..."

"No, no, it's fine," Jackson reassured me. "Besides, I do the same thing sometimes, too. You can play yours whenever you want. No one is stopping you."

I didn't answer as I grabbed the numbing gel, placing a new coat on my stitches.

"You are going to give that back, right?" Now he sounded like that I was going to keep this item.

"No," I shook my head, "I won't keep it. I'll give it back to the nurse tomorrow..." I faced the clock. Eleven p.m. at night. Huh... Everyone says that..._time flies_. I saw dark, stormy clouds looming in, covering the moon and the shining stars like a black blanket. Great.

I went back over to my bed and laid back down, pulling the covers up to my neck, clutching the bear in my arms with me staring at the wall. "I'm going to try to go back to sleep this time."

"Okay..." I felt him nod his head. "Goodnight, Hazel."

Hearing the care in his voice, I returned the same word. "Goodnight..." I shut my eyes, already feeling the sleepiness going back to me.

* * *

_FLASH... KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

I was suddenly woken up by a loud booming and threatening thunder that sounded dangerous. I looked at the clock again, reading eleven thirty. Wonderful...just wonderful. I went back to sleep for half an hour! Thank you, storm! Loud noises always wake me up.

_KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

Another loud crashing thunder, along with a flash of lightning. I'm not afraid of thunderstorms since I went through so many of them when I have to force myself to live alone before I started living with Stine and Hannah, so... I didn't need to be comforted. Although there is one storm that does get me a bit...antsy. A hurricane. I've been through one a couple of years ago. I thought the house that I was living at will be torn down by the strong current of wind and having a massive flood everywhere. But no, that never happened.

I rolled onto my back, gripping the stuffed animal before sitting up and going over to the window.

_FLASH..._

Lightning flickered into my eyes.

_KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

A third threatening sound from the dark clouds. Great... How in the hell am I going to get back to sleep now? I can only sleep when it's nice and quite, not from loud sounds!

I wish I had ear plugs. That'll be good to have… While I stared out the window, rain started to go down.

_Plip, plip, plip_, went the drips of water, hitting the window pane, running down the glass. My depression matched with the storm. Like I said before, rain always ruins my days...even though I never had a good day in my whole life.

I watched the rain go down harder. Kneeling down, I put my elbow on the windowsill, placing my hand on my cheek, feeling different emotions inside of me...again. Should I play the violin just in case it gets worse? Nah. I don't feel like doing that now.

Not being able to help it, I felt a tear running down my face, unable to keep it in. I feel like I need to go outside of the building, but...I might get in trouble for that. So I decided to take a walk inside the building. I know where all the rooms are at, and I won't get lost.

I looked over at Jackson, sleeping on his cot. My face felt hot when I stared at him.

Making sure to be quiet, I walked up to the door and opened it. Pearing my head out, I looked down the hallway, checking to see anyone down there.

Nobody. I stepped out of the room, shutting the door as quietly as I could, making sure not to make any type of noise to wake him up. Even though he was a heavy sleeper. Except when I threw my pillow at him by accident.

Walking down the hallway, I decided to go to that one area where all the patients hang out like he mentioned to me. Don't know where it is, and I'm not entirely sure if he showed it to me when he gave a tour of this place.

I wish there was a map of this building. However, I just walked, not being able to find it. So I decided to go to the very first area when I arrived here with Stine. I know where it's at.

Going over to that area, I walked over to the couch, sitting down on of the cushions. I placed my arm on the arm of the couch, placing the side the side of my head on it.

Maybe this isn't a good idea, after all, I thought, getting up. I don't want to get caught or else I'll get in big trouble.

I started walking again, heading back to the room.

_KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

When I heard the crashing thunder, the hair on my arms raised, feeling a chill down my spine, making me shiver. Better get to the room, fast. I quicken my pace, listening to each cracking thunder.

Finally, I got to the room. I opened up the door, stepping back inside before closing it shut. Then I went over to my bed, laying down on it, facing Jackson's bed.

To be honest, he looks really... cute when he is asleep. Don't know why, but he does.

Sighing, I turned onto my other side. I wanted to go back home. I feel... homesick, wondering when I can get out of this place. And this is my second night of being here.

Don't worry, Hazel, I assured myself. You'll go home soon...back to Hannah and Stine. You won't be here forever.

That thought made feel a bit better. I held no smile but it made me feel less worried about how long I'll be in this building.

Shutting my eyes, I slowly waitin sleep to come to me, ignoring the loud cracks of thunder and flashes of lightning.


	22. Chapter 22: Search In The Storm

**Chapter 22: Search In The Storm**

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

I paced in the living room, the boys sitting on the couch with Hannah standing at the side of them. Zach seemed to be on the alert. As for Champ, he seemed to be tired. I was surprised that he actually came over because I thought he'll just back out.

I stopped pacing, looking at my daughter. "Did you tell them why they have to be here?" I asked her.

Hannah shook her head. "No..." she answered slowly. "You just told me to call them, I didn't tell them anything else, like..." She trailed off, looking at them.

"Like?" Zach continued. "Like what?" he questioned. "What's going on?" It looks like he wants to know right now. "Is this about the mouse problem?"

This time, Champ was alert, the tired feeling going away from him. "There was a mouse?" he squeaked. "Is that why we're here? To catch a mouse?" He shuddered. "I hate mice... they steal people's food, like cheese."

Zach rolled his eyes up to his head. "They don't eat cheese, Champ," he told him with a shake of his head. "Where in the world did you learn that from?" he questioned his best friend.

"From a cartoon show that I used to watch..." He lowered his head. "I bet you know the show _Tom And Jerry_. You know? Tom's the cat and Jerry's the mouse. That's where I learn that mice eat cheese."

"Mice don't eat cheese, dude," Zach repeated. "That was just a cartoon show. You need to watch something else, like _Animal Planet_."

"I'm afraid of _all _kinds of animals!" Champ raised his voice.

"Okay, nevermind," he surrendered, not wanting to argue. "But really, why did Hannah call us?" He raised his brow up. "If the mouse is bothering her, you should call the exterminator," he suggested, thinking that was the case.

"Yeah, why don't you do that?" his friend agreed. "Because I don't want to go anywhere _near _that...furry thing," he refused with another shudder.

"No, no," I manage to talk. "It's not about a mouse. It's about something else…" I took off my glasses, pinching the bridge of my nose. I looked at the boys with serious eyes, placing my glasses back on my face. "Do you two promise not to freak out?" I said, wanting to know if they can handle it.

They nodded, answering my question.

I walked over to the window, looking up at the dark clouds. "One of my creations got out of the manuscript." I placed my hand on the window glass. "I don't know how...but he did," I sighed, taking my hand off it, turning to them. "And I need your help." I walked over to them.

Zach got up from the couch. "Which one was it? The praying mantis?"

"The Abominable Snowman?" Champ added in. "Did the Haunted Mask came out of the book? Because that's a really bad thing," he cautioned.

"No, no." I shook my head. "It's my _most _evil creation of all time," I empathized, not wanting them to throw monster names at me. "Do you...remember Slappy?" I waited for them to answer.

Zach nodded. "You mean the dummy that released the monsters to destroy Madison and the one who attacked Hazel? Yeah, I know that chopped wood," he recalled. "Why'd you asked us about him?"

Sighing, I stared at the floor. "...Slappy, somehow, got out of the new manuscript that you had to help finish."

There was a long pause. It was so quiet that you can hear a pin drop on the floor. The room went completely silent. Huh. I thought they'll...

"Slappy got out of the book?!" I looked up to see a horrified look on Champ's face. "He got out of the new book?!" he cried out in fear.

"Now what did I just say?" I almost angrily reminded. "I don't know how he got out, but he did."

"B-B-But the book was locked up tight!" Panic came to him. "I'm going to go home," he backed out. He got up from the couch, heading the front door.

I grabbed him by the back of his shirt. "No, you're not," I disallowed, keeping a good grip. "You are going to help us find him, too," I spoke harshly. Champ, however, didn't want to do it and began walking. I rolled my eyes when he couldn't go anywhere, staying at one spot as he continued to try to walk away.

"Let go of my shirt," Champ let out, annoyed.

I ignored him. "Let's go." Making sure not to let go of the cowardly teen, I made my way to the front door. Champ broke free, with me grabbing by the top part of his shirt, right where his shoulder is at. "Don't you try to run off, kid," I warned.

"Let go! I don't want to help find that creepy, wooden puppet!" Champ annoyed look went into fear. "Come on, Stine..." he whined, getting pulled to my car with the others behind us. "It's going to storm soon, and I _hate _storms..." Tears came to his eyes.

I didn't care. Not at all. "Oh, yes you are. You are going to help us, boy. You and Zach are going to search for him at the graveyard."

"The graveyard!?" Now he really started to freak out. "No way I'm going to that place!" he declared. He picked up his foot, kicking me on the lower part of my leg.

"Ow!" I released him. "Hey!" I yelled. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't want to go to that place, that's why I did it," he talked back. "I'm going home. It's much safer there then the...graveyard." He was about to turn around when I grabbed him by the shoulders. "I don't want to go!" he bittered out in a loud voice.

Of course, I kept ignoring him. God, this kid needs to grow up. Besides, his _best buddy _will be with him with no problem at all. I forced him to go towards my vehicle. "In the car," I ordered both Zach and Hannah, knowing that they won't refuse a simple task. They got in the car and I literally have to throw Champ in the back seat, shutting the door.

Getting into the driver's side, I started the engine and backed the car out of the driveway, driving to the graveyard first.

"You have a flashlight, right?" I looked at the rearview mirror. Zach got his phone out, putting it on flashlight mode. "Okay, good," I confirmed with a nod. "What about you, Champion? Do you have your phone?"

"I forgot it..." he mumbled. "I left it in my room," he explained, thinking like I was going to explode at him for forgetting his technology.

"That's fine," I couldn't help but to sigh out. "Just make sure not to get lost."

"Oh, don't worry, I won't," he promised right away. "I'll just stick with him," he pointed at Zach who rolled his eyes. "Too bad that I didn't call Taylor. She could help, too."

"Does she know about Slappy?" Zach turned to his friend and asked, placing his phone on his lap.

"Yeah, don't you remember? Hazel mentioned him," he reminded.

"Oops, guess I forgot." He shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, Hannah, is it okay to ask you something?" he suddenly brought up.

"Sure." Hannah turned from her seat. "What do you want to ask?"

"Uh...what happened to you when you were in the new book that I had to help finish writing?" That question that he threw out got the car filled with silence. "Was that too much to ask? In case that was, I'm sorry," he broke out.

"No, no, it's fine, Zach, but..." She let out a sigh. "Should I tell him what happened to me in the new book, dad?" She waited for my permission.

"You really want to?" I responded.

"Yeah, I want to," she insisted.

I gripped the wheel with both hands. "Alright, go ahead."

Hannah turned away from her boyfriend and Champ. "In the book, the new book, that Zach had to help finish, I was getting away from monsters. Slappy was so angry that he wanted to get rid of me...so I wouldn't have to see any of you guys ever again..." She lowered her head. "Especially Zach… That dummy wanted revenge on me...for being dad's replacement... He wanted me...dead, despite that I was still a ghost until now... I was in that book for weeks and...by the time Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage caught me, they dragged over to a...well...you know what bonfire is... All the monsters were going berserk. It was so loud that the noise began to hurt my ears, but... I didn't want to show fear..." She looked out the window. "Before that even happened to me, I found dad's house...but it wasn't the same like the real world... It had overgrown grass all over the yard, the roof look like it was falling apart, and the paint was chipped and faded... I even had to get away from the werewolf that was ordered to get me before I found my 'house'. I ran as fast as I can, hiding behind other fallen apart houses to no avail… The werewolf can smell my scent...and I was a mess, too, because I can never have time to shower. I'm not sure if there is any water..."

She took a deep breath and I can tell that she didn't want to cry. "I spotted a car...but I don't know how to drive because dad wouldn't let go to driving classes, no matter how much I begged him..." she continued, her eyes looking at me, then stared straight ahead. "So, without me thinking, I got in one of the cars and...started driving... Suddenly, the werewolf got on top the hood of the car. I tried to shake the furry thing off, but since I don't know how to drive, he just kept his grip, not letting go. At all. I...opened the car door opened again and... jumped out as the car continued to move..."

My eyes widen when she mentioned that, even though she told me this before...with watery eyes...her eyes when she basically told me all of this...

"I ended finding a jewelry store," she went on, "remembering what dad taught me about werewolves. They don't like silver. I ran to that building, only it was closed… all the stores were closed in the book. I found a rock and broke the glass door down. The alarm went off. However, I wasn't worried about that, considering it was just me...the monsters...and Slappy... The only thing I was worried is about not being able to come home...my _real _home. The home where it's...safe and sound. I ran into the store, looking for anything that was silver. The werewolf was stalking me by the time I found some silver jewelry like rings, necklaces, bracelets. Even silver chains that guys use on their jeans.

I grabbed one of them, and it was long enough to wrap the werewolf's neck, but it was short enough for him not to take it off. When I grabbed it, the werewolf was right close to me that I felt its breath on the back of my neck. In quick reaction, I grabbed a handful of silver rings, throwing them at its face. The werewolf didn't like that, causing it to shake his face like...well...like a real dog would do... While it was recovering from that impact, I went somewhere to hide with the silver chain in my hand. I waited for that creature...wanting it to have it's back to me. When I peered around the corner, I was surprise that he did have his back turn to me. Waiting and, right at that moment, I jumped on it.

I remember how the fur felt. It was all warm and bristly. I clung onto him. It tried to throw me off, only I didn't let go, wrapping the silver chain and clicking the two ends together, jumping off of him, running out of the store. By that time, I found my 'home'. Like I said, it wasn't like my real home. My real home is the real world," she expressed out in a calm manner. Again, I was in that book for weeks, and when I feel tired, I just...go to the house...go to my room...and just...sleep whenever I get the chance. More days went by and by then...I was caught by Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage, getting dragged to where Slappy was.

He was on the werewolf with the chain in his wooden hand. He wasn't happy, telling me that I should be gone for good...not to see anyone. He ordered the two goons to the bonfire like I mentioned at the beginning of all this, that Slappy's monster pals went wild. They were growling, making all sorts of sounds...like...cheering… The noise was too much for me, making the inside of my ears sore… I didn't block the sound out… I didn't want to show Slappy that I was...afraid. I wasn't afraid of any of the monsters, but...their berserk cheering...it was...just too much for me to handle… Maniac flew to a tall, wooden beam, and tied me there. Slappy lit up a match, burning the wood pile. The heat felt hot and, right before I knew it, I felt...strange. I was glowing...in the color of yellow, and to my surprise, I went _through _the rope and...floated up towards the night sky. It was always night time in that book. And by that time...I was...home. I came back to my real home. My dad was happy..."

I couldn't help but smile when my daughter said that.

"...I was happy," she added, "that I won't have to suffer in that hell book. Of course, I was really sore from running. I was a mess and my hair was a mess, too. I had scratches, and a couple had to be bandage, thanks to dad. I was hungry; starving, from not being able to eat when I was in that new manuscript, that I ended up eating everything from the fridge. Dad didn't care, at all. I even took a long shower after I was done eating. And the next day...the school reopened. Dad took the job as being the new English teacher. At first, he wanted me to wait awhile longer to see Zach, but I wanted to see him right away since he wouldn't let me when I was written back into the real world the other day. So he told me to wait _after _school. And that's what I did. I got back together with Zach and we got together...like boyfriend and girlfriend."

After her story was finished, both boys were quiet. I believe that they were surprised on what happened to her in that book. I was shocked when I rewrote her back into existence when I saw the state that she was in. She was a mess...her hair was all tangled and matted...and she was starving. God, I can't believe I never wrote the characters to eat! I should've have done that. Only it wasn't my fault, and my daughter knows that. I just can't believe that Slappy tried to get rid of her with a bonfire. I really need to speak to him, telling him what he did was wrong. Including what he did to Hazel.

Now that I think about her, I miss her. I...really want to go back to that place, that mental hospital and to just...bring her home. But I can't, not until she gets better. My hands clenched the steering wheel, my hands aching.

She was right about blaming the people who made her have the feelings she now has. The kids who made her quit school at a very young age, her god parents abusing her, especially her god father, and her older god brother. I mean, just because she wasn't their real daughter doesn't mean they can treat her that way. I'm a dad and I never treated my own daughter with such cruelty. I never lay a hand on her or hit her.

Of course, when Hannah let out that scream...it sounded like I was hurting her. But I was just out of control, my anger taking over me when I grabbed her book off my bookcase, about to trap her back in so she would never see Zach ever again.

However, I didn't watch where I was going just as I was about to unlock her manuscript, where I ended up tripping over the lamp cord, scaring my daughter when the lights went out.

I remembered that terrified look that she gave me when I recovered just as I plugged in the lamp back on after I set it on the table, feeling lucky it never broke for how expensive they are. I felt bad...feeling like a terrible father.

Hazel is right, about not being a perfect dad, with me agreeing with her, saying that not all parents are perfect.

I was so overprotective of my daughter then that I always make sure she stays in the house, even though she confessed to me at the grocery store that she sneaks out during the night after I go to bed, and yes, I got mad at her. Hech, there had been a time when someone knocked on my door back in Chicago when I went with the name of Ghoulberg, and Hannah answered the door before I could.

While she was chatting happily with someone, it looked like she made a friend from the conversation she was having with this person, that she almost went out the door by the time I grabbed her, pulling her back into the house, making sure she was behind me, telling to whoever person she was talking with to leave.

At first that person was shocked, telling me that he saw us move into the house a few weeks ago, came over, and asked if my daughter can hang out with him, but I told him no and to scram or else I was going to call the police on him.

The kid assured me that it was only two houses down from mine, only I wasn't having it. So I gave him my eerie look, giving him a sharp and reluctant stare. He got the message off the bat. I remembered his facial expression when I did that.

Remembering when he left my front yard, I was glad that I did that because I didn't want Hannah to go with him in case something bad will happen to her.

But Hannah didn't seem happy to the point where she got mad at me... wanting to know why I wouldn't allow her to have friends. I told her but that didn't make her feel any better. Not only that, whenever I have to go out and do some errands, she'll ask me if she can come with me. I ended up telling her no.

She told me it wasn't fair, saying that she should tag along. Again, I had to forbid her from doing that. Hannah never liked it when I do that.

There were even times, during the night time hours, I'll get up from the couch to check on her while she was asleep in her room. I don't know why, but I had to. She never knew, though, and I never told her about it.

Whenever someone knocks on my door, I had to order Hannah up to her room before I would even answer it. And yes, she didn't like that, but did it anyway to avoid arguing.

As the years went on from moving from one town to the next, I made sure that I kept her safe from strangers...even though they were nice, I knew what would happen in case she went with them.

I felt bad for doing that to her. I really did. Parents are supposed to keep their child safe...right? But I knew that I went a bit overboard for doing that to Hannah and, when I rewrote her back into the real world, I gave her the freedom she wanted. I still keep her safe, only this time, I won't go over the top with it.

Speaking of keeping children safe… Why did her god parents abuse her? Why? They're such...jerks for doing that to her. And I don't know them at all. Man, if I ever met up with any of those two hell people or her god brother, I'll make sure that they would never go near Hazel again.

The thought of that made me want to get Hazel right now. Except, it'll take me _hours _to get to that special place she was at considering that it's not in Madison, somewhere in Delaware.

Hmm, I should pick her up early in the morning and have lots of coffee whenever the staff members call me to come get her.

"Wait, Slappy tried to _kill _you? Even though you were a ghost until now?" Zach broke the silence, slicing my thoughts away, talking to Hannah. Wow, I guess he was processing on what my daughter told him. "You know, since tomorrow is Friday, I'm going to make sure he doesn't go near you."

"No, Zach, I'll handle him," I spoke up. "He's my creation, I know how to deal with him." Oh yeah, I'm really gonna deal with a wooden... the word left my head when we got to the graveyard. I faced towards the boy. "Now if you see him, call me. Don't try to grab him or anything," I instructed them.

"Got it." Zach nodded his head. "Let's go, dude," he directed to his best friend.

"I wish I never forgotten my phone..." Champ couldn't help to let out a whimper. "I'll just stay in the car..." he decided, thinking it the best idea.

"Champ...you better go to that graveyard..." I warned.

"I don't want to!" he shouted loudly, not budging from his seat.

I cast an evil glare at him. "Go. To. The. Graveyard..." Champ, however, kept on refusing. "Do it, or else I'll pull your ear," I then threatened.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay." Quickly getting my message, he scrambled out of my car after Zach got out. "But when will you come get us?" he questioned.

"When Zach calls me," I briefly answered, wanting to get to the next location as possible. "I'm gonna drop Hannah off at the old amusement park."

Zach raised a brow. "Are you sure she's going to be fine lookin' for that devil doll?"

"Yes. Now go on." Without another spare word, I started driving again, leaving the boys at the Graveyard.

"You know that they're gonna freak out once you tell them the _real _reason on why he's out of the new manuscript," Hannah brought up.

"I just have to break it to them gently..." I responded. "Let's hope that Champ doesn't freak out the most," I wished, stopping at a red light. "I know how he is when it comes to these kinds of things."

"Yeah, he is a..._scaredy-cat_," she agreed with me.

I smirked. "I thought your _boyfriend _was the scaredy-cat," I slide out, grinning.

I felt her suspicious eyes on me. "...when did you know that? I never told you that I call Zach a scaredy-cat sometimes," she told me in slight confusion.

"I..." The light turned green and I continued driving. "...looked into your new phone, reading you guys' text messages," I confessed.

"Dad!" I didn't have to see the look on her face, knowing already that she was beyond shock. "You... You went through my _text messages?_" she let out in a exclaiming tone. "Why would you do _that?_" she asked.

"Hey, I have to," I defended. "I just wanted to know what you two will be chatting about on the phone."

"Well, you shouldn't have looked through my phone, at all." She turned away from me.

I let out a chuckle. "Sorry, sweetheart, but I had to." I looked over for a quick second to see Hannah looking at me again. "You want to know why I have to do it?" I asked, changing my demeanor, giving her a serious look.

She thought about it. "No, I don't know why." She rolled the window down, letting fresh air in. "Tell me," she insisted.

"Alright, alright, alright, I'll tell you. I just wanted to make sure that he's texting appropriately." I gave her a stern look. "And to make sure he isn't sending..._pictures_," I put in next.

Hannah gave me a confused look. "Wha-? What do you-?" Her eyes widen. "Ew, dad, why would you _think _that?" she proclaimed, realizing what I was talking about. "Zach would never send me something like that to my phone."

"I know..." I then pressed down on the break. "We're here," I then announced, pointing out at the passenger window. "You know what to do, right?"

Hannah grabbed the car door handle and nodded, remembering what I told the boys. "When I see Slappy, don't do anything and call you." Hannah pushed the door open, looking up at the dark, stormy clouds. "And we better find that wooden freak, too, before it starts raining."

"Don't worry, I have an umbrella." I pointed behind me from my seat, showing her where it was at. "I'll be over at the school grounds." With that, after Hannah shut the door, I made my way to the high school, hoping...just hoping, that Slappy is there.

* * *

It only took me about fifteen minutes to get to the school. Of course the school is closed at this time, so no one is in the building. Not even the principal. I grabbed my school key that all teachers have for security reasons and my umbrella in case it starts to pour down rain.

_FLASH... KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

Lightning streak over me, along with a loud crack of thunder from the dark clouds.

_KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

A second crackling thunder, making the clouds sound angry, very angry, like God is mad about something. I felt a cold breeze, making me shiver. Too bad that I didn't bring a jacket with.

_FLASH..._

The lightning came again; flickering, like a lit up candle that is about to get blown out. Or a light bulb that isn't working anymore.

_KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

The snapping and crackling came through the third time when I felt a wet drop on my shoulder, then another one. I opened up my umbrella that is in the color of black, holding it as the rain pattered down on it, protecting my head from getting wet.

I made my way to the school, listening to the thunder, lightning flashing above me.

The rain fell harder with each step I took. By the time I got to the office entrance of the school, I slipped my key in the key hole and unlocked the door, pulling the key out and putting it in my pocket.

Entering the building, I closed the umbrella up. No need for bad luck, now… I kept the lights off, taking out my phone from my other pocket.

Turning my phone on, I set it on flashlight mode before walking out of the office and into the hallway.

I have to admit, walking down the hallways this late a night, when the school is closed until morning, it's kinda...creepy… My formal shoes clomped on the school floor.

At least it's not like that one _Goosebumps _book that a wrote titled _The Haunted School_.

Heh… When I released that book, a lot of my bullies were too terrified to go to their _own _schools. It made me...proud of what I did, glad that I can scare my bullies away that made fun of me when I couldn't go outside to play.

But Slappy did a great job of keeping me safe from them...until what he did to them. The memory swept into my head, swimming around. I told Slappy what he did was wrong, but he didn't care...not at all.

With the years that passed by, his job has gotten to the point where it was just...sigh, he just went too far on both keeping me safe and the pranks that he did. We also used to get along...before Slappy would pick arguments with me, telling me what he did was right to what he did to my bullies.

So… I did something that I regretted. Locked him up in a pages of a book when he got out of control.

I stopped to glance at my Smith Corona...the memories of me having that...magical typewriter...writing my own stories, making my own friends that are monsters... I felt...isolated and alone… the monsters that I made kept me safe...but they too, got out of control... just like Slappy...

Staring at my typewriter, I almost had the urge to write another story... But I quickly stopped myself.

The light from my phone created shadows on the walls. I heard a furnace go off from somewhere, making me cry out in alarm. I let out a sigh, muttering to myself.

"Come on, Stine, it's just a school... It's not haunted or anything..." I forced myself to start walking again. "Now...if I were Slappy, where would I be...?" I thought out loud. "I know..." I picked up my pace, making my way to the auditorium. The place where he found me and Hazel, breaking my fingers in the process, preventing me to continue to finish the story. Glad that Zach finished for me when I held off the Blob monster with Slappy tormenting me...watching me get devoured by the pink goo.

I walked faster, picking up my pace. And when I got to the auditorium, I placed my hand on the door and, to my surprise, it opened.

I shined my light, stepping into the room. "Slappy?" I whispered loudly, not worried about anyone hearing me. "Slappy, are you here?" I called out quietly, walking down the aisle, the carpet in the color of red. I made my way to the stage, climbing up the steps to the top of it. "Slappy?" As I continue to call out, the building shook, having me feel it beneath me from the rumbling outside from the storm. I went over to the table, seeing the image of him breaking my fingers… "Slappy?" I shook the memory out of my head. "Slappy, where are you?" I said, making my way over to the stage curtain. I grabbed the fabric, pulling it to the side, my light beaming from the other side of the stage. "Slappy?" Nope, he's not here, either.

Letting go of the curtain, I went back to the small staircase, getting off the stage, looking at all the row of seats.

"Is he under one of these seats...?" I wondered, talking to myself. "I better check..." I decided. I went down the first to the last from the left side of the room. I did the other side.

No luck. I can check the school library...

Believing that's a good option, I made my way out of the auditorium, heading to the library, listening to the heavy rain that is being released from the sky, hitting the school roof that is above me.

Walking up to the school library, I made my way inside, the light hitting the bookcases filled with lots of books of all kinds.

I went down each aisle of the bookcases, just to see in case he's sitting on the floor or on the bookshelves.

He wasn't... God, where is he? I can't check any of the classrooms because all the rooms are locked.

Stepping out of the library, I walked down the hallway, peeking into each classroom, looking to see if he's in any of them.

He wasn't. Not even in my English classroom. So...where is he? Where's Slappy? Is he at the gym?

Probably, I answered my own question in thought. He could be underneath the bleachers... Yeah, I think he is... One way to find out is to check.

Shining my phone light down the hallway, I made my way to the gymnasium, as another rumble went over me from outside.

I wonder how long the storm will last...

Reaching the door of the gym, I pushed it open. My light made some shadows and I let out a sigh when the bleachers are closed up.

"Slappy... where can you be?" I asked out loud. "I should call Zach, seeing if he and Champ have any luck..." I took out my phone, dialing Zach's number. I know I told him to call me in case he finds Slappy, but I decided to call him first.

"Yeah, hello," Zach's voice flew in after answering the first ring.

"Hey, Zach, any luck finding Slappy?" I talked into the phone. There was silence. "Hello?" I spoke, wondering if he's still on the phone with me.

"...No... So far we hadn't found him," he finally told me, answering my question. "And it's raining really heavy, too," he put in. "Plus, Champ screamed like a girl when that loud, cracking thunder came before the water started falling on us," he added.

"Hey!" Champ's voice came through the phone. "It's not _my _fault that I scream like that!"

"Do you boys need any help?" I decided to offer.

Pause. "Yeah...we could use your help..." Zach replied finally. "We're over at the gates when we escaped from the ghouls."

"I'll be there." After that, I hung up. Then with a quick turn, I made my way back to the office, wanting to get out of the school as quickly as possible. Being in this building in a stormy night is just too… eerie… It sent chills down my arms just thinking about it.

Again, it's not like that _The Haunted School_ from one of my _Goosebumps _manuscripts.

God... I can't believe I had written thousands of monsters... It made me...proud and happy... But when they went too far from scaring my bullies...I have to lock them back inside and sell the safe copies to those...imbeciles.

The only monster that I keep out from his manuscript... is Slappy...

But like I stated before, he too, also went too far of protecting me...his pranks to the point where they aren't...humorous anymore...

"_I was your best friends, and you turn your back on me." _Guilt came over me when the memory of him came to me again, while he was watching me get devoured by the Blob. "_Locked me up in a pages of a book..._" My eyes clenched shut, like I was trying to control my water works. "_You put me on a shelf for years and years... The key was right there... And you never used it..."_

I opened my eyes, failing to keep a tear from running out from the corner of my eye. "Slappy..." I manage to say. "...I didn't betray you... at all. I did that to you because...because it was for your own...good…" I should tell him that once we find him. Adding to that, I want to make sure he's still willing to apologize to Hazel for what he did to her, because...he does...lie at times. So the only way to find out is to make sure.

That's when another thing came into my mind. What if he does say sorry to her and then attacks her again when she was trying to stop him? Or...what if Hannah is right? Will he stab us in the back once he's reformed?

Don't worry, Stine, I began to reassure myself. You'll get to change his ways… it just takes time. Besides, you didn't really like anybody, thanks to those who made fun of you. All because you had terrible allergies. But after putting everything back in the book, you decided to stop hiding from other people, realizing how wrong you were about this world… You even took a job at the high school to be the new English teacher. Hm, it's kind of weird...and funny, to be Zach's neighbor _and _his English teacher.

At least his mom is the new vice principal...

Making my way back to the office, I went in, going to the front door, opening it, then locked it with my key. I opened up my umbrella, almost getting drenched in the rain, walking back to my car.

Getting into the vehicle, I closed up my umbrella, putting it behind the driver's seat and shut the car door shut.

Placing my car keys in the ignition, I started the car, turning the windshields on, wiping the heavy drops as it continued to pour down heavy rain on the front window.

Stepping on the gas pedal, I got off the school parking lot, making my way to the graveyard to meet up with the boys.

* * *

**Zach**

* * *

Walking into the graveyard was pretty...terrifying. After Stine left to drop Hannah off somewhere, and I have no idea where he went to look for that...evil doll that should've been turned into firewood.

"Ohh..." Champ whimpered nervously, slowing down his pace, getting a bit far behind. "Why couldn't we look for that...creepy thing in the daylight hours?" he said.

"Dude, come on," I ushered, shining the light from my phone in his face. "You need to keep up. Besides, if we can't find him, I can call Stine to help us."

"Alright, alright, you don't need to blind me, dude," he replied once he was able to see again, blinking his eyes several times. He looked up at the dark clouds and I did that, as well. They look mean and, to be honest, frightening. "I wish I was at home.."

_FLASH... KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

"Ahh!" His scream made me jump when a flash of lighting came over from the dark clouds, letting out a cracking thunder.

"Dude, relax, it's just a-"

_KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

"-thunder storm," I finished, not startled at all by it, both of us feeling a cold breeze. I shivered, wishing that I brought a jacket with as me and him continued to walk through the graveyard, the flashlight helping us to see.

_FLASH..._

The lightning went off again, like a light bulb that doesn't work anymore. Champ took a deep breath. "Alright, Champ," he began assure himself, trying to act 'cool'. "Your best friend is right, it's just a-"

_KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

"Ahh!" Another scream came out of his mouth as another snapping and crackling thunder came through the third time. "I'm getting out of here!" He was about to run back to where we got dropped off, but I grabbed him by the shirt. "Zach, dude!" he exclaimed, ripping his shirt out of my hand, having me stop in my tracks.

"What?" I didn't want to stop looking for that demon doll. "Dude, we _have _to find that creep," I told him. "If we don't, he's gonna do something very bad, then it'll be too late to put him back in the manuscript that as all the other monsters in it," I reasoned, starting to feel water on me. It started off with one drop before raining heavily on us.

Champ brushed his fingers over his head. "...okay, I'll...I'll not run off," he promised, agreeing with me.

Yeah...right. We continued walking with no luck finding him. "I can't believe your afraid of _everything_."

He gave me a defensive look. "At least I saved Taylor from that werewolf," he responded, recalling that event that happened at the high school.

"Yeah, with silver fillings," I had to add in.

He let out beaming grin. "That's right, my friend." He patted me on the shoulder. "It's awesome how both of us got girlfriends…" A frown came to him when he started thinking. "Do you think that Hazel will get into a relationship? You know. Since you, me are in a relationship, including Stine who is dating your aunt."

I shrugged my shoulders at his words. "...I'm not sure..." I answered in reply. "The thing we want to see from her is a smile..." The thought of Hazel not being able to be happy made me...sad. "All of us feel bad for what happened to her when she was real little… I mean, what kind of god parents abuse their children? Just because she's not their biological child, doesn't mean that they can be..." I stopped. "...cruel to them."

Champ nodded. "...yeah..." I then felt him look at me. "Whoa! Dude, are you okay?" he suddenly cried in alarm. I gave him a confused look, not knowing what he's talking about. "You're crying," he pointed out.

"No, I'm not." Quickly, I flicked a tear off my cheek. "There...was something in my eye," I explained. "I-I wasn't crying."

"Don't say that," he disbelieved. "Be honest," he convinced me. "You had that same feeling when Hannah told you to let her go when all the monsters were getting sucked into the new book."

"I _wasn't _crying!" I half yelled. "Okay... I was," I admitted with a sigh. "Just a little... It's..." I wiped a leaf that somehow got on my shoulder. "...I can never understand why her god family could be...mean and abusive towards her. Hannah stated that Jeff hits Hazel all the time...for no reason at all! Kelly yells at her and Travis is just...not very nice."

"Not all family members are nice. Some...are asses to other children." The smile came back on his face, patting me on the shoulder. "Besides, she's living with Stine. Maybe when she gets home, he'll adopt her."

I grinned, too. "Maybe... He's a good dad. Even though I thought he was a psychopath after me and Hazel heard Hannah scream...like he was hurting her or something."

As we kept walking, I can feel the rain water soak through my clothes. "Brr," I shuddered. "The rain is cold..." I shivered again, the hair on my arms rising, feeling...goosebumps on them.

"I wish..." Champ shuddered as well. "...I brought a jacket. Why can't we have spring now?" he complained as another cold shiver ran down his back.

"The reason it's not spring yet is because it's winter. And it's still March."

Champ complained again right after I gave him my answer. "Why can't months go by faster...?" He then let out a cry when there was a loud _snap _sound. "W-What was that?" he stammered.

I looked down, seeing that I stepped on something in half. I picked it up, both halfs, in my hand since I have my phone in the other one. I looked over at my friend.

"It's just a stick." I tossed the two pieces aside, watching it smack on one of the old gravestones, and we continued to look for that dummy.

Several minutes went by with no luck at all. Me and Champ checked behind every gravestone that we spotted.

How hard is it to find that chop wood? I was starting to get irritated. What if my girlfriend found him and he attacks her like he did to Hazel?

I stopped and Champ bumped into me. "Sorry," he said.

Shrugging it off, I shined my light all over the graveyard, seeing if I can spot Slappy. "How did he got out of the new manuscript?" I wondered, making myself walk again with Champ by my side. "The final words that I wrote was this: _Never to be seen again_. How can he possibly get out that...book that _I _have to help finish?"

Champ thought about it. "I wish I knew... But Stine will know what to do."

"Yeah..." I shook my head up and down.

We kept on looking with no success at all. We couldn't find Slappy anywhere!

We manage to reach the iron gates that we use to escape the ghouls to get to the high school, including those Sadler ghosts that came up to us. I was amazed that Hazel hit one that on the side of his head with a stick that I picked up to defend myself, ready to swing at them in case they attacked, but no, she was the one that did it, surprising all of us. For not being able to smile, she sure can stand up for herself and us.

I gripped the metal gates, seeing if I can open it.

No. No success. The chain prevented the gate from fully opening, just like last time. Me and Champ still can get through, only it's easier when someone holds it open for us, like Stine did.

I picked my phone up from my side, having the light peer at the woods, and that's when it hit me. "I'm sure if I'm right or wrong, but Slappy could be in those woods." I pointed the dark trees, referring to what I mean.

"Oh no, dude…" Champ let out a low moan, covering his eyes. "No. I...I can't. I'll just stay here…" He stopped for a second, taking his hands off his eyes. "Hey, why don't you go and I'll wait for Stine," he suggested.

I gave him a quirked brow, then let out a gasp and pointed. "Dude! There's a zombie!"

"Where!?" Champ jumped in alarm, turning around as fast as he could. "Where!?" he replied in repeat, until I burst out laughing. He gave me an angry look. "Not funny, Zacharias!" he fumed. "I thought you were being..."

"Serious?" I completed. "God, chill out, man. It was just a joke. It seems like you fall for everything."

Champ took a deep breath in and let it out. "Yep. But it wasn't funny when those monsters got released by that creepy, wooden doll," he remarked, pointing out the night that it happened. "It was also cloudy, too," he added.

That's when my phone started to ring, startling both of us since all we can hear is rain falling from the sky.

I looked answered it right away, thinking it was Hannah. "Yeah, hello."

"Hey, Zach, any luck finding Slappy?" It was Stine, not my girlfriend. "Hello?" I heard him speak, since he literally made me think it was her, calling for help.

"...No... So far we hadn't found him," I answered, getting words out of my mouth. "And it's raining really heavy, too." I looked at my best friend before saying anything else. "Plus, Champ screamed like a girl when that loud, cracking thunder came before the water started falling on us."

"Hey! It's not _my _fault that I scream like that!" Champ declared, defending himself, like he was offended or something.

I just ignored him, opening my mouth to say something when Stine's voice went through the phone, having me close it shut.

"Do you boys need any help?" he replied after Champ's response that he gave me.

For a second, I thought about it and responded to his offer. "Yeah...we could use your help... We're over at the gates when we escaped from the ghouls."

"I'll be there." The phone then went off, indicating me that he had hung up.

I leaned against the gates, my head down, looking at the dirt ground that is now turning into mud. "I thought that was Hannah calling for me," I relieved, getting my composure back.

"You really jumped when your phone rang," Champ tossed in.

"You did it, too," I claimed. "Anyway, I'm not the type of guy who's afraid of _everything_, like you are," I remarked. "Is there anything that you're _not _afraid of?" I questioned, wanting to know.

"Um, I'm not...sure..." he proceeded to say. "In case you didn't know, I was always a scared kid ever since I was little," he explained. "Plus," he sighed, "my parents are still thinking about kicking me out of their home… They told me that I need to 'grow up' and..." He let out a breath. "They told me to...break up with Taylor," he muttered.

I gave him a shocked look. "Your parents wanted you to break up with Taylor!? Didn't you tell them what you did for her?"

Champ shook his head. "...no..." he mumbled. "I didn't... They both think that I should date girls that are 'athletes' just like them. Sometimes when I hear them talking about me...I feel bad for myself for being such a coward. I told them that I can't help being frightened all the time, and you know what their response was?" He waited for me to answer, except I didn't. "They said: 'Champ, you need to stop being afraid of silly things'," he gave out his parents' words. He narrowed his brows. "It's like...they don't want me anymore."

After he told me all of this, I felt bad for him. He was the first person to greet me at the high school while the others teased me for being the new student. Yeah, I was annoyed by him, I had to admit that, but we then became good friends. He was actually my first friend because the other kids would make fun of me for what I was wearing. Once in science class, some dude thought it was funny to pull a prank on me and yellow goo splattered on my face and on my shirt, staining it.

That was fun to take off… At least it didn't stain my face like I thought it would.

"Sounds like your parents are complete imbeciles. So what if your not like them? It's like they think that you have to be good at everything."

"I already brought that up a couple of times..." He swept his hand over his head. "I'm just lucky that they don't...hit me just like Hazel went through when she used to live with god family."

"Yep." We then heard footsteps coming in our direction. I lifted my phone, the light catching someone walking down the path towards us.

"Put that light down!" the person yelled out. It was Stine, covering his eyes, shielding himself from the bright light with one hand, the umbrella in the other one. "You don't need to blind me, Zach."

I lowered my phone to my side. "Sorry about that."

Stine let out a experrated breath, putting his hand down with the phone in it, too. "It's alright. Now you need help, right?"

"Yeah," I said. I pointed outside the gates. "Slappy could over by those woods," he stated.

"Okay, I'll hold it open. You two slip through first, then I'll go through the gates once you get to the otherside," Stine directed to us. Putting his phone in his other hand that held the umbrella, he used the other one to open up the gates as much as he could.

Me and Champ slipped through with ease, seeing how easy it was for us to get through from between them. When Stine went to get through, he just ended up failing.

"Not again," he grunted in frustration, noticing that he got stuck again. He began pulling himself to the otherside. I went to help him, but he raised his hand, stopping me. "I got this," he told me.

Then, with a final pull, he manage to get free from them, landing on his stomach.

Getting back on his feet, he brushed the mud off his formal shirt. "Let's get going." He began walking with me right next to him when he stopped, glancing behind him. His eyes narrowed. "Champ, let's go." I turned to gaze at Champ who is kept his distance, standing near the gate, following Stine's face direction. "Let's go," he repeated, putting it in harshly, hoping that it'll work.

It didn't. Champ shook his head. "I don't want to..." he barely said. Stine stomped over to him, grabbing him by the ear. "Ow!" However, Stine just ignored him, forcing him to walk with us. "Ow! Stine, stop it!" he exclaimed. "Let go of my ear!"

He didn't let go of his ear. "I know what you're going to do," he spoke in a seething voice. "You're just gonna run off like you tried to do when all of were in Horrorland."

"Stine, stop it! I just don't want to go to the scary forest."

"It's just a forest, okay? It's the same one that you see in the daylight hours." Stine released him. Champ rubbed his ear, taking the pain off of it. "If you start to run off again..."

"Don't worry, I won't," Champ promised. "I don't want my ear to be all red and sore."

"Come on," I rushed, looking at the dark woods. "We better find that dummy before he does _something _he'll never regret," I muttered under my breath. We began walking. The ground was wet and muddy, almost making me slip and fall.

No need to be clumsy, Zach...

As we were about to enter the woods, Stine's phone went off. He checked it before answering the third ring. "Hannah?" Me and Champ stopped, going back over to him.

"Dad, I found him," Hannah reported from the phone. "He's was in the candy stall. Please come get us."

"Okay, stay there, we're coming." Once he told her what to do, he hung up, turning his face to us. "Let's go, boys." He turned around, heading back to the gates. "I hope I don't get stuck between those gates the third time around."

Oh, it's gonna happen.

Reaching to the gates again, Stine held one open. Again, me and Champ just slipped through them with no problem.

Stine went to step through.

Of course, just like that, he couldn't get through all the way. "Ugh! Who uses a chain to close these gates up?" he groaned, tugging himself with no attempt. I couldn't help but to put on a sly smile.

"Stuck again?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"No, no, I got this." Yeah, right. Watching him tugging to get through, I tapped my foot on the soiled dirt impatiently. "Whoa!" Stine finally got through, falling onto the ground again. "I'm okay," he quickly assured us, standing back up.

"Boy, Stine, you're shirt's all muddy," Champ announced.

Stine looked at him, angrily. "Thanks... I didn't know that, Champion," he said sarcastically, saying his full name. "To my car," he then led on.

Once we got to his car, me and Champ got in the backseat as usual. Stine got in the driver's seat, starting the car up, driving back to the amusement park.

* * *

**Hannah**

* * *

I watched as my dad drove off to school with me staring at the abandoned amusement park, reminding me of the event where Zach had to finish dad's latest book.

Wanting to see if the lights come on like last time when I showed my boyfriend this place, I went over to the tree that has large light switch. I grabbed it, pulling it down.

Nothing. Seems like the lights don't work anymore.

Taking my phone out, I put it on flashlight mode, making my way through the old park full of old rides and everything else when I noticed something.

_FLASH... KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

I leapt, letting out a short yelp, and dashed away from what I saw on the ground, almost tripping over my own feet when lightning and that loud, imitating thunder went off from the sky.

I regain myself status. "It's just going to storm, that's all… it was just thunder... thunder that scared me half to death." I took a deep breath, forcing it out to get my heart back to it's normal pace. "Okay, Hannah, go see what that stuff is," I whispered to myself in prep talk.

Going back to the stuff on the ground, I shined my light on it. The stuff that I saw on the ground is all green droplets; glowing to be exact.

"What is this stuff...?"

_KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

I jumped when hearing another angry thunder. "Get ahold of yourself, Hannah," I berated, getting annoyed that I'm getting frightened by the damn storm.

_FLASH..._

A cold wind whipped through my hair when lightning came from the evil clouds, making me shiver.

_KRAC-CROOO-OOM!_

It then started to rain. First it began lightly, then all of a sudden, I was getting drenched like I was underneath a waterfall. So I took my hood, pulling it over my head to keep my hair from getting wet, studying the green liquid. Somehow it didn't wash away like I thought it would.

I spotted another one, just an inch away from the first one. I stood up. Maybe this stuff would lead me to the dummy and I should follow it.

And that's what I did. I followed the trail of the green, glowing stuff when I spotted a stall, a candy stall, to be exact. The green stuff was ended by it, right in front of a rickety door that looks like it was about to come off from the old, rusted hinges that kept the door on the frame.

I put my hand on it and stopped when I heard... sniffling? Hmm... maybe he's in here-

_RUSTLE! RUSTLE!_

I stepped back, my gaze going over to a bush where I heard a noise.

_RUSTLE!_

The bush shook, the leaves getting shaken off with more rain falling on the plant. That's when I heard chittering sounds, and when I placed my hand on it, a furry animal scurried away, almost making me drop my phone on the ground that is now muddy due to the heavy rain.

It stopped and I saw it was a racoon, staring back at with it eyes that is surrounded by its mask, making the furry critter look like a bandit, holding something between its mouth.

I squinted, not wanting to get close to the wild animal, seeing that he has a piece of scrap in his lips. I didn't walk up to him, even though racoons are nocturnal, meaning that they only come out during the nighttime.

Except for those that have rabies...

"Shoo," I coasted, wanting it to go off in the opposite direction rather to come to me.

As if it was listening to me, the racoon turned around, running off in the other way just like I wanted it to do.

After that, I went back to the stall, placing my hand on the door.

_Creak..._

I stopped when the door made that noise. I wanted to peek through a window, but the problem is that there's no window.

Being as quiet as I could, I opened the door inch by inch, having just make _crick_ sound. I paused before opening the door all the way.

I saw him.

Slappy...


	23. Chapter 23: Candy Stall Talk

**Chapter 23: Candy Stall Talk**

* * *

**Hannah**

* * *

I took a step back, not wanting him to notice me just yet. The rain fell, splashing on the ground. One of my feet stepped in a puddle, soaking my shoe, with me eyeing him. I didn't want to make any other noise besides the rain that he's hearing. Not only that, he didn't pay any attention. His head was down, his wooden body was shaking, and I found out where the source of the sniffling was coming from.

The source was from... Slappy. I just can't believe my mind. Slappy? Sniffling? Do evil dummies have emotions, too?

No, Hannah, I answered myself, he doesn't _have _emotions in him. All he has is evil. He never feels bad for what he did to dad nor Hazel. He'll never get reformed, he'll never apologize to my best friend who is now living with me after what he did to her.

I watched him, keeping my eye on him. He was sniffling so much that he doesn't even notice that I'm behind him.

I raised my phone, ready to call dad, when I heard a _snap _sound coming from beneath me. Looking down, I saw that I had stepped on a twig.

Slappy stopped mid-sniffling, turning his head to the side a little. "I told you not to find me, Stine, I left you a note in that guest room." He turned his head towards his back. His brows raised and lowered. "Oh..." he realized. "It's only you... the one I try to murder so you won't see that Zach kid again," he bruted out.

"You thought I was dad," I ignored his harsh words, coming into the stall. It was quite small to be frank. Slappy turned his head away from me. The small roof wasn't in good shape. The droplets of rain fell through, making small puddles all over the floor that has a couple of rusty nails poking out of it due to how old this thing is. "Slappy..." I spoke.

"What?" he refuted, seeing that he doesn't want to be bothered. "Are you going to say that I'm a mistake? Just like Stine mentioned when I got free from my book back in Chicago and some girl helped him so he can lock me back in my manuscript where I can just...rot through hell."

"No... no, no, no, no, no, I'm...just surprise that..." I couldn't come up with anything else to say, so I asked him a question instead. "Have you've been crying...?"

He whipped his head, glaring at me to death, like he was trying to scare me away, letting out a low growl that came from his wooden chest. "You didn't hear me cry..." he rasped. "I wasn't crying at all. You were just hearing things."

I tilted my head to the side. "Yes, you were, I heard you sniffling and saw green stuff that led me here," I told him, not buying his reply.

Slappy's sharp look went to sorrow before going back to angry ones. "Why are you anyway...?" His brows went up but that never took away those stinging eyes, looking at me in a suspicious way.

"I...um... Dad dropped me off here," I stammered. I looked at him, not being able to take my eyes off of him. "What happened to your..." I pointed, doing my best not to show any sympathy. "...face?"

Slappy's mouth parted open with no words coming out of it, and at first I thought he didn't want to answer me until he started yelling.

"Are you that stupid!?" he raged, getting up, standing on his thin legs that are made with cloth, stomping over towards me. "Are you that _frickin _stupid!?" he continued to throw out. "My stupid for nothing 'friends' attacked me after you-" His wooden finger pointed up at me. "-escaped from me when I tried to kill you! Now look at me. I'm a mess all thanks to you, Stine, Zach, and all the other people that became your friend... Stine should've let me free forever...only he didn't! He just put me back inside a book. _A book!_"

I waited for him to keep on letting his anger out. I wanted to tell him that he shouldn't have done that to me in the book, except another question came into my brain. "I'm not sure dad told me this but... what happened between you and him?" I hesitated to say from the sharp stare that kept me from looking away from him.

Slappy let out a disgusted sigh, sitting back down on the wooden floor board of the candy stall, not answering right away, listening to the loud rain. A rumble from the sky made the stall shook, like it wanted to destroy it.

The seconds turned to minutes as he didn't say anything back, turning away from me, forcing himself not to look at me.

A raindrop fell on my shoulder from the raggedy roof. Pretty soon this thing is gonna be blown by the wind unless it gets stronger.

"What happened between you and him?" I repeated.

"Why would you want to know?" he responded back. "I don't want to tell you what happened between me and Stine." He faced me again, keeping those eerie eyes. We stared at each other, and it seemed like he was hoping that his bone chilling stare would make me leave him alone.

I didn't move, just stood there. I mean, I could just run out and call dad, telling him to come and pick me up. Except I wanted Slappy to tell me what happened between him and my father.

"Just tell me, okay? You don't have to tell everything that happened to you. Why can't you stop being so selfish for once and tell me?"

That caused him to get a bit violent. "It's none of _your _business, Hannah! Just go home and leave me here! I'm just a mistake! Stine even admitted back in Chicago at the Town Centre Galleria in the library, saying that letting me out into the world was just a mistake! It's not even fair that _you _get to be free from your book forever! You're a stupid girl that Stine loves more, knowing that you're not a mistake at all! He shouldn't have created you! _I _was his best friend! _I _was his son! I-" He cut himself off, closing his fingers, creating a fist. "I'm just a... mistake..."

Before he had anything else to say, I responded back. "Just me tell what happened between you and dad," I insisted.

He scoffed in a seductive tone. "You want to know, huh?" I nodded, taking a seat on the floor. "Fine, I'll tell you," he contoured, like he wanted me to stop asking. "But just to let you know, this event that happened to me is none of your business, got it?" The only return I can give him is a nod. "Okay, good." He then began to tell the event that happened to him. "It...actually started back in Columbus, Ohio...before he created you...back in nineteen ninety three. He was pretty young, too. In my calculations, he was proberally in his late teens or in his early adulthood. He was in the study while I with him just...having a...good conversation.

'Are you going to create _more _monster friends?' I asked papa, sitting down on his large desk, my eyes on the special typewriter that held a piece of paper, ready to be typed. 'You always make the best ones,' I commented.

Papa chuckled. 'Yeah, I am. And thanks for the compliment,' he returned with a genuine smile. 'Only...' He scratched his head. 'I don't know if I should call my next story to terrorize the locals... Hmm...' He tapped his chin. 'What should I call my next story...?' he wondered out loud. It was basically a normal thing for him; talking out whether I'm in a room with him or not. 'I wanted to write a...halloween story...'

'How about _The Haunted Mask_?' I suggested with a shrug of my shoulders, my wooden fingers clicking on the polished wood of his desk. 'I don't think you written that story...have you?' My brow raised with impertaction.

He got up. 'Let me check just to be safe. I written so many of these books that I need to be careful not to write the same story unless it's an exception.' He went over to the tall bookcase that contained all of his _Goosebumps _books. He checked each shelf. He went over it again and again. He sighed, putting his hand down at his side, sharing a glance at me. 'Sorry, Slappy... I already wrote that one…' he apologized, his words blended together, sounding like he mumbled it. 'Even the _Haunted Mask II _is on the shelf.'

Despite me being a wooden, evil puppet, I felt...embarrassed. 'Oh...uh...' I played with my bow tie. 'That's okay...how about you write...' I tried to come up with a title, but my mind was...blank.

'Don't worry about it,' he assured me, placing his hand on my shoulder. 'Story titles never come up right away.'

He took his hand off of me, with me thinking about what he told me. 'Okay,' I said. 'You're absolutely right, papa. Though I wish you can make another friend for me.' I grinned, although I'm always like this since wooden puppets are always stuck with a grin on their faces. 'And once you come up with a good title, I'll help you with all the twist and turns and frights,' I promised.

Nodding his head, he combed his fingers through his hair. I see him do that all the time, wishing I can do that since my hair is actually painted on my head.

Me and papa look alike, too. We both got dark, brown hair and brown eyes. The only difference is that my chest is painted white, making it look like a shirt while I'm wearing a gray tux over it and a red bow tie, along with a red, ruffle flower, and he wears black formal shoes while I wear brown ones. His clothes are formal as well, in the color of black. Another thing that is different about him compared to me is that he wears black framed glasses that he consistently cleans with his shirt, making sure there are no tiny specks on them. Like most humans are when they have those things on their faces.

It's very fun to hang out with my papa... we're like...best friends. I always tell myself that he would never lock me up because he promised me that... Like I keep my promise to keep him safe from those...

_Clink!_

'Huh?' Papa turned to the direction of where the sound came from.

_Clink, clink, clink! Clink!_

'Hey, Robert, why don't you come outside?' a voice started to agonized, followed by a snicker. 'Or are ya too _lazy _to do that? Come on outside, you wimp!' the voice irrigated in a snarky manner.

'Didn't you forget? This lame dude has allergies, he can never go outside,' a second voice piped in. 'He's forced to stay indoors so he wouldn't...suffer...' The second voice let out a cruel laugh.

_Clink, clink, clink, clink!_

The window continued getting hit by rocks of all shapes and sizes. I watched papa go over to the window, sliding it all the way open. A rock flew into the room, almost hitting me after I teleported off his desk, hearing is smack the wall near the door.

He peered down. 'Get off my property...' he tried to shoo. The result he got back was full blown laughter. He gripped the windowsill, his knuckles turning...white. 'Get off my property!' he boldly voiced.

'Let us think about it,' I heard a third person call back up. 'Should we leave this loser alone?' the third person directed to his friends. 'No? Yeah, I don't think so, either.' The person then talked back at papa. 'We decided not to. Here, have some rocks since you _never _go outside.' More rocks were being thrown in, making him move away from the window.

'Stop!' he hollered down to them. 'Stop, you'll-you'll break something in here!'

The answer he got back was more laughing. I saw his face turn an angry red, his eyes tightly shut. He was trying to control his temper, getting more upset by the second. _**'Go away!' **_he yelled out.

'No!' the first person refused. 'We'll only leave once we're done. Hahaha!'

His face a bright, angry red, he stormed out of the room. 'Papa- No wait,' I called out, running down the stairs, wanting to stop him.

'If those bullies don't leave, then I'll just have to make them leave.' He went to the back door, shutting is closed with me just standing there. I couldn't hear him that well for being on the other side of it. It started off by yelling, then turned into screaming.

Wanting to know what is happening out there, I found a window, teleporting on the windowsill, balancing on it, making sure not to fall and break myself.

My eyes widened when I saw his bullies pushing him around, causing him to fall on the grassy ground. His glasses were ripped off of him, being held by a guy with long hair tied in a ponytail.

Papa went to get up when he got kicked in the stomach. 'Oh...' he moaned. 'Hey-!' To my horror, I saw all three of those brats kicking him. 'Ow! Stop it!' he begged out. One of them grabbed a handful of dirt, throwing it on his face. He sputtered, spitting the dirt off his lips. 'Quit it! Ow!' he screamed in pain. 'Give my glasses back, I can't see anything!'

The guy who has his glasses held them up. 'Aww, you can't see anything?' he teased, waving papa's glasses in front of him. 'How about you try and find them?' Bringing his arm back, he threw the glasses across the lawn. 'Careful not sneeze, Robert...' he sneered a menacing smile.

No! It's a trick! I wanted to shout out to my papa, telling him to get up and come into the house, and that I'll find his glasses.

He slowly got up and the result he got was a kick in the ribs. 'Ow! Leave me alone!' he desperately pleaded.

'Aw, look at him guys,' the pony tail guy pointed, smirking an unkindly smile. 'This loser wants us to leave him alone. No wonder he doesn't have _any _friends.'

'Yeah, who wants to be friends with a guy with terrible allergies and stays inside all day long?' the third guy agreed.

'That's right.' Papa let out a yelp when the second guy gave him a blow in the chest with his leather boots. 'You're lame,' he commented snidely.

I continued to watch while his bullies, his enemies, beat him. He was begging and also...crying. Each time he went to get up to go get his glasses, they'll just throw him back on the ground.

I have to help him! I've scared a lot of his bullies, and these jerks needed a good scare. I quickly ran into the kitchen, pulling something out from one of the drawers. I ran to the back door, leaving the drawer opened.

I bust the door open, almost breaking the hinges off the doorframe. The three men stopped what they were doing.

They stared at me in shock. One of them chuckled, looking down at papa with a bad look. 'Who's that? Your son? Boy, I didn't know you're a dad.' He looked back at me. 'Hey, there little fella,' he waved, kneeling down at my height.

Instead of answering, I walked over to them. They almost cried out in fear to see what I truly was. The other guy sputtered and pointed.

'Th-That's a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-'

'Ventriloquist dummy!' his friend declared in fright. I gave them narrow eyes, lowering my brows.

'Who you calling dummy...? Dummy!' I proclaimed, clenching the object; a sharp knife in my hand. 'You better back off from my papa or else.'

'Really?' the first one ignored. 'You protecting your own _daddy?_' He took a step forward, like he was trying to imitate me since I'm short for being three feet tall. 'Wow that's a turn around,' he complimented. 'It's always the _parents _that keep their kids safe. Where's your mama at? Hm?'

I glared at him. 'I don't have a mama...' I crackled. Then, without any hesitation, I raised the weapon in my hand.

The human let out a painful scream and I began attacking him before going to the others.

'Ow!'

'Hey, get this dummy off me!'

'Help!'

The three men let out cries of mercy, having me stab one of them in the arm for calling me the D word. One of them threw me off, causing me to land on the ground harshly, making me let out a heavy grunt of pain. Scrambling back onto my shoes, I saw them running away like...cowards, yelling at them. I yelled threats, I yelled cursed words.

'...and if you people _ever _come back, _you'll be god damn dead!_' I threatened, waving the knife. I waited for them to be out of site, watching them scream away from our home. I lowered the knife to my side, walking over to papa. 'You okay?'

'Why did you do that!?' I jumped back when he yelled at me, his eyes squinting due to the fact that he hadn't found his glasses. 'Why did you attack them?! You almost murdered them to death!'

My lower jaw hung in a slacking way, unsettled by what I was hearing. 'I was _protecting _you!' I let out an argued tone that came out of my mouth when I was finally able to talk. 'Don't yell at me! What do you want me to do!? Just stand in the house and watch you get tortured by those jackasses?' A drop of blood that is the color of crimson fell on the ground. Papa let out a gasp when seeing this, his face turning a bit...white... 'Papa...?' My anger went right back with concern. He didn't answer, looking for his glasses, crawling around on the lawn. I faced to where the first guy threw them at, spotting them. I went over and picked them up, checking to see any cracks or anything.

His glasses past the test. I teleported in front of papa, holding them out to him. 'Here you go.'

Instead of taking them nicely like he always does, he snatched them out of my hand in an angry manner, placing them back on his face. After, he spoke to me.

'You were supposed to _scare _them, not send them to a hospital, Slappy. I can't believe you did that to them. Just because you saw them hurting me, doesn't mean that you have to do the same thing. I'm very disappointed in you.' With that, he stomped in the house, grunting in pain with each step he took.

All I could do was stand there, processing on what he just said to me. The words jumbled inside my head.

The knife dropped to the ground when I released it, forgetting that it was in my hand. Then I scooped it back up, clutching the handle, making my way towards the door.

I jumped for the doorknob and opened the door, walking inside. I went back to the kitchen, putting my little weapon in the dishwasher before looking for papa.

I found him in his study. He was crying, his hands buried in his hands, his elbows on his large desk.

I stepped into the room. '...Papa?'

'Get out!' he exploded, causing the house to shake from the loud and frightening tone of volume from his voice, sending me a teary glare. 'If you want to hurt people then go ahead! You were supposed to scare them away!' he repeated, pointing his finger at me. 'Now those jerks are gonna tell the whole world, and everybody is gonna know about...you.'

'It's my job!' Now I was getting mad, too. 'I taught those brats a lesson! And how do you know that they're gonna tell people about me, huh? People aren't going to believe them!' I yelled.

Papa got up from his desk, stomping over to me, towering like a tall building. For the first time in my life... I felt... imitated...

'Do you want me to put you back inside your book?' he threatened.

'No!' I cried out, raising my hands as if to defend myself. 'Please don't put me back on the shelf,' I pleaded. 'I won't do that to them again, I promise!'

A long silence came between us. Papa let out an angry sigh, stomping out of the room with no spare word. It's like he didn't want to hear it...

As more days went on... I didn't keep my promise... Every time I saw anyone making fun of my own papa, I will just hurt them...badly. Throwing harmful objects and things like that...

He didn't like that, beginning to ignore me when I try to talk to him, turning his...back on me... We would pick up fights, yelling and screaming at each other... Papa would keep on threatening me to put me on a shelf... I knew they're just threats, so I never took it seriously.

The pranks that papa used to love... I went overboard with them...thinking that it'll help make him feel better...

It didn't...

Then...one day...it happened... He walked right behind me after I threw a large rock at one of bratty kids. I felt a strong current of wind. I turned around...and saw him opening up a book, my book.

'No!' I shouted, grabbing his mattress of his bed that I was sleeping on. 'What do you think your doing?! Stop! Shut the book, shut the book!' I yelled out.

'I don't want you to be free anymore, Slappy!' Papa declared in a bold like state. 'You went _too _far for everything that you did!' The wind grew stronger and stronger, the lights flickering in the bedroom. 'Since you failed to keep me safe, then it's better for you to be back in the book where you belong!' he proclaimed.

'No... _Noooo!_' My fingers started to slip. 'No!' I shrieked. 'I'll get you back, papa! That's a promise that I'll keep! And I'll release the monsters by the time I can figure out how to get out of my book!' I revenged by the time I lost my grip.

So I was...trapped in paper and leather. I don't think he even flinched when he locked the book!

Years went on with me stuck on the shelf, keeping that same promise on my papa... Only I don't know how I'll ever get out of my book. I tried to get out myself with no success whatsoever. But then I stopped when I heard him walk back into the study.

From inside the book, I heard a chuckle and cracking knuckles. 'Yes...' What his he doing? I pressed my ear against one my pages. 'Reader beware...you're in for a _scare_,' he exclaimed in full triumph. 'Hahaha!' I heard him let out a laugh.

That's when I heard him typing on the typewriter. Is he creating a new monster, without my help?!

The typing went on and on; it seemed to take hours. I didn't say anything just...listening from inside my manuscript.

Hearing another noise, it sounded like he took a paper off the typewriter. '_The Ghost Next Door...' _From inside the book, I can hear papa's pen writing on something. _The Ghost Next Door? _Did he just wrote a new _Goosebumps _story? 'Let see how you turn out..._Hannah._' My wooden brow went up. Hannah? Who's Hannah? 'You'll be much better than those..._creeps_,' I heard him speak into the new book, even though I couldn't see it but can still hear him.

Creeps? Did he just call me and my friends creeps!? Hearing the key unlock the book, I heard lightning and wind... What's happening? What's going on?! Who's Hannah?!

From inside the book, the wind went away along with the lights and heard papa talking to someone. 'Hey there. You know that you're Hannah… right?' There was a pause, and I heard papa's footsteps walking. 'Hannah? Hello.'

I kept on listening, waiting for his new creation to say something. '...Dad?' What?! Did his new creation just called him dad?! Oh, she better not replace me. Suddenly, I heard a cry. _**'No! **_You're not putting me back in! Not with the Shadow Figure!'

'Shadow Figure?' Papa questioned, hearing his confused voice from the book that I am now stuck in. 'Ohh. The Shadow Figure,' he then realized. 'I won't put you back in, sweetheart.' Huh? Did he just say _sweetheart_?

I then heard this Hannah say, 'Promise?'

No, no. Don't say it, papa! Don't say that you promise. 'Yes.' No! 'Give me the book,' he requested. 'So...' From inside the book, I almost slipped when he slid the new book between mine and the other one. '...what do you want to do first?'

'Explore the house?' Why does that sound like a question? 'And maybe...go outside and meet some new friends...?' How come she doesn't sound _evil_? Is that why he doesn't want to put her back in the book?

'Sorry, Hannah, you may _not _go outside... But you can explore the house. You can even tell which room you want to be your new bedroom.' My eyebrows lowered when hearing this.

'Fine... I'll stay inside. Even though I knew who I am...' she replied. Is she a ghost? Is that why her book is called _The Ghost Next Door_? 'What are these? Books?' I then heard her ask. I also heard a book being taken off from one of the shelves. '_A Night In Terror Tower. _Why are these books locked, dad?' Oh, you'll find out. Still hearing, I listened for her to open the book.

'No!' Papa yelled. He then spoke with an uneasy voice. 'All these manuscripts have to be kept locked. If you unlock them...the monsters would leap off the page and wreak havoc.' Uh...is that what you wanted us to do, papa? From inside, he put the book back as well as the key. 'Now go on and explore the house,' he shooed, leaving me, a wooden piece of junk, to rot in hell...

"I began to feel...betrayed. I started calling out to Stine. I know he can hear me, and he pretended not to. It's...it's like he's neglecting his own child. I didn't want his new creation to replace me, even though he told me that you didn't replace me, Hannah... But..." Slappy sniffed, green liquid emerging from his brown eyes, not wanting to start crying again like he did when I heard him sniffling from inside the stall. "He did it anyway. You're his new favorite, Hannah. That's what he thinks of you. You're never a mistake, that's why he never put you back in the book except when he had to write a new one to stop me and my so called monsters that were my friends, who beat me inside the new manuscript after I became a failure of trying to kill you at that bonfire so you would _never _see him and Zach again... Stine hates me, Hannah... he always has. He lied to me, saying that I was his best friend. He's a liar and I can never forgive him for what he did to me when he trapped me back inside my book," he wept, doing his best not to show any sad emotions in front of me. "And even though I got out of my book when one of the movers that he hired ended up dropping it, breaking my lock...even though it was already broken somehow... Some bratty girl in dark, black hair stopped me at the library at the Mall...just to distract me so he...he can suck me back into the book before I can get my wooden hands on her. It's all..." His voice cracked and broke when he tried to get the last words that are stuck in his wooden throat. "...it's all his fault. All Stine's fault... Now I can never go back..." Tears fell out of his eyes , staining his tux, glowing in that green glow. "He hates me, Hannah, he hates all of his children except for you..." He started to sniffle again, failing by trying to control it so I wouldn't hear it, but I did.

For the first time in my life after hearing his story, I began to feel...very bad for him. Yes, what he did was true, just like what I told the boys in the car of Slappy trying to murder me, that way I wouldn't see dad and Zach again.

"Dad doesn't hate you," I spoke, placing a hand on him. I looked at his scarred up face, noticing something right away. The paint seemed to be fading into the color of white. In other words, he looks like he isn't feeling well. "You look ill..." I commented.

"I feel fine," he answered, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "I'm not sick and I'm not weak." I frowned, knowing that he's lying to me. "And...I can't blame you for saying that I'll stab everyone in the back... Just let me stay here so I wouldn't ever see that man again."

"No, Slappy," I responded, holding my phone. "I'm not going to let you out here to get anymore worse than you are." I began to dial my dad's number. "I'm gonna call dad to come and get us," I said. Before I can even finish, my phone got taken away from me. "Hey!" I protested. "Slappy, give me my phone!" I reached for it and he held it out of my reach. "Slappy, stop it, you're sick! I need to call dad so he can take you back home," I tried to tell him.

"And tell him to put me back in the book?" he added, feeling paranoid. "Is that why you want to call him? To put me back in the book so my 'friends' can hurt me more?! Not a chance, girl." He gripped the phone tightly, and I was afraid that he was going to break it since it's a brand new phone after my last one broke over at Horrorland.

"Just give me the phone!" I was about to grab it, but he opened up his tux, dropping my phone inside of it somehow. I slammed my fists on the floor. "Fine! Have it your way!" He flinched when I blew out at him. "Dad just wanted you to get reformed, but since you don't want me to call him to come pick us up, that's fine by me! You can sick for all I care," I muttered. I got up, ready to leave.

"Don't go!" Suddenly, I felt his arms wrapped around one of my legs. "Please, don't go," he begged, his head down, shaking all over. This is weird... he's like Hazel with her bipolar illness. First he's irritated and angry, then the next thing I knew, he's clingy and childish. It seems like he also has some separation anxiety. You know, when children don't want their parents to leave, fearing that they won't come back. Hazel was kinda like that, only it was more like paranoia when dad explained to her that he's just taking Lorraine out to dinner and Zach had to restrain her, telling him to just go and locked the door so he can get the other door locked.

I felt bad for her. I don't know what's it like to be in her shoes. However, I don't want to find out.

"Slappy, what is up with you? I thought you're a terrifying monster," I convened, rolling my eyes.

He released me, his body shaking. Probably due to the cold. "Don't you get it, Hannah?" he croaked, tears coming to his eyes, letting them fall this time. "I can't go back there, just like I said. He hates me, I know he does. He hates all of his kids and never hated you since you're so..." He pointed at me. "...special because he wrote you in away where you won't have to scare his bullies away because you're just...stupid," he insulted, turning away from me, sitting down and faced the wall.

Instead of taking that in, I sat back down. "Dad doesn't hate you," I repeated, being very sincere, taking off my hoodie, placing it on him. He noticed a second later, not tossing it off of him like I expected him to do. "And if he did, he wouldn't think of letting you out of that new manuscript," I put in. "He doesn't despise you either, too."

"He kicked me like a football," he broke out. "He _does _think of me that way."

"Well, you did break his fingers, have him get consumed by the Blob, and bit Hazel and lied to her," I reminded.

"I don't care what I did!" he snapped. "I don't care what I did to them. I don't care what I did to Hazel when she tried to stop me," he snarled. "But I have no choice but to say sorry to her whenever she gets home from that insane asylum."

"It's a mental hospital." I rolled my eyes, ignoring his rude reply.

"Whatever," he talked back. "There is no way I'm going back...home. Besides why are you here anyway?" he asked, looking at me suspiciously.

"I just told you, dad dropped me off here," I replied since he already forgotten that I explained it to him. "Slappy...please, you need to get back to the house. Look at you," I pointed. "You're cold and you're not going that great," I reasoned.

I was expecting him to keep on refusing, but to my surprise, he took out my phone, holding it out to me. "Here," he stated. "Call him. But don't tell him that I cried," he requested, feeling embarrassed about it.

I smiled. "Thanks, and don't worry, it's okay to cry." Slappy just rolled his eyes, almost not believing me, but he knew that I was right. But if it makes him feel better, I won't tell dad nor my friends just to be safe so he wouldn't scream at me. I finished dialing dad's phone number then put it on my ear, listening it ring.

"Hannah?" he answered, picking up at the third ring.

"Dad, I found him," I announced. "He was in the candy stall," I told him. "Please come get us."

"Okay, stay there, we're coming," Dad instructed. He then hung up the phone.

I hung up, too. "Now we wait." I turned my head, seeing Slappy on the floor, sleeping. I guess it was from all that anger and crying, which does happen when you feel like that.

I gently picked him up like a small child, cradling him, making sure my hoodie doesn't fall off of him. When I looked at him, he seems very harmless... Don't know why that came to me. He seems a lot less evil when he's out. I sighed. "Dad better reform him..."

I walked out the candy stall, waiting for his arrival with a question in my head.

Is dad really going to reform him? Just as I was about to answer my own question, my ears caught the sound of footsteps. Perking my head to face in front of me, I saw dad with an umbrella in his hand, the light from his phone shining in my face, making my eyes squint.

When he got to where I was at, he lowered his phone towards the ground. 'What happened here?" he asked, noticing Slappy in my arms.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "When I came here, he was asleep."

Dad nodded, taking my words. "Let's go home." Turning around, he led me to the car. "He was asleep when you found him?" he repeated my answer, wanting to know if he heard right.

"That's right," I confirmed with a nod. "I was looking at every part of the amusement park until I saw the candy stall. I opened it up and, well, I found him; sleeping. While he was sleeping, I thought it'll be...kind enough to put my hoodie on him," I explained, lying to my own father.

Slappy told me not to tell him that he was crying, so I didn't.

I'll just tell the boys, even though this gremlin didn't mention them.

I don't think this demon is going to... change... But...we'll just have to wait and see...

* * *

The drive home was pretty quiet. Either we didn't want to wake Slappy or we didn't want to make any sudden noises. Every once in a while, he'll mutter something that I can't make out, twitching just a tad bit.

Dad kept looking at him a couple of times with an arched brow, wondering what I was telling him was true. So I decided to tell him, hoping that this thing is in a deep sleep.

"Slappy was crying when I actually found him," I confessed out of nowhere, breaking the silence. "He was in the stall sniffling. He denied it, but I didn't believe him. Actually, when I think about it, I told you I heard crying in the study room," I brought up from yesterday.

"He was...crying?" Champ said. I didn't have to turn from my seat. I knew he was shocked. "You mean this evil monster, one of Stine's most evilest creation, was _crying?_"

"That's what she just said, dude," my boyfriend answered, his voice sounding a bit annoyed. "However... how can this thing have...sad feelings. He is evil, and evil things shouldn't feel that way."

Dad stopped at a red light, the window wipers washing the rain water off as the storm got worse, the wind blowing the wires from the light poles, almost look liking they were going to be torn off. "Slappy does have other feelings," he spoke, his eyes on the light, waiting for it to turn green. "I just think he doesn't want to show it. He did cry after I released him after he vented at me, telling that he was my favorite. He even thought that I replaced him after I created Hannah. To Slappy...he thinks that I broke my promise and lied to him about not putting him back in his book. But I had to the one day, after what he did to those bullies and all the pranks that he did that went way too far. I had no choice but to do it. We even picked up arguments. He told me what he did was right, but I told him what he did was wrong." The light turned green and he started driving. "He told me that those bullies deserved it to what they did to me," he continued "We'll argue about it everyday, with our voices up in high volume. I had no choice, I had to put him back in his book. As I was getting him into the book, he declared to me that he'll released the monsters someday for revenge. I brushed it off at first, thinking he was just...saying that. But then...he did. I don't know how he got out his book when the movers packed up the stuff in the moving van, but he did. I guess it was because somehow the lock from the book got broken because there had been a time when the book fell off my shelf back in Chicago before he actually got out of it. I was lucky that a girl distracted him in the library at the Town Centre Galleria, that way I can stop him." A frown came across his face. "Then he released the monsters in this town," he finished. "I'm starting to wonder if he only did that to get my attention, just like young children would do to their parents. Only..." He let out a short chuckle. "...they don't release monsters into the world."

"So are you going to put him back in the manuscript?" Zach asked by the time we got to the house.

Dad took the car keys out of the ignition, not answering for just a second. "...No."

"What?!" both boys replied in reaction.

"What do you mean no?" Champ squealed in fear. "Are you..." He thought for a second. "Are you under some kind of mind spell?"

"No, Champ, I'm not," Dad answered, grabbing the car door handle, opening the car up. He got out of the car and we did as well.

"But-But, why don't you want to put him back in the book?" he stuttered as we all entered dad's house, walking into the living room.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, dad pulled his fingers through his hair, closing up the umbrella that he brought inside, water dripping on the floor. "Are you boys gonna freak out when I tell you the truth?"

"Truth?" Zach inquired with a raised brow. "What truth?"

"Stine's gonna write another new book to trap Slappy in." Champ gave my father a hopeful look. "Right?" he said. "Is that why you don't want to put him in the book, just to write a new one? Please tell me that's what you're going to do."

"No, Champ, I'm not going to write a new book. I..." He looked down at the floor, staring at his shoes. "I let him out," he mustered out.

There was a short pause. It was like as if someone went over to a TV, turning it off right away. I can tell that he was feeling guilty and I can't blame him for feeling that way. Even though it wasn't a good idea to let Slappy out of the new book.

"You let him out!?" Champ began to freak out. "So he _did _put a spell on you," he proclaimed in fright.

"Champion, he did _not _put a spell on me." Dad gave him an annoyed look. "God sake, kid, can you ever think of something, oh I don't know, _positive?_" he half shouted, as if he doesn't want to wake Slappy up or wants to control his anger. He then turned his glance at me, holding out his arms. "I'll take him," he offered, whispering softly.

Handing Slappy to him, dad went upstairs to put him in one of the guest rooms, believing that's where I think he's going.

"Oh my, God, oh my, God, oh my, God," Champ rattled in panic. "Stine's under some kind of mind control, Stine's under some mind control. That's why he was saying that he's not putting that evil dummy back in the book." He grabbed my boyfriend by the shirt. "We gotta do something, Zach! We have to-"

Zach shoved him off. "Dude, he just said he _wasn't_. Now don't grab me like that, you almost ripped my shirt. It's new," he told him. "However, I think I should stay here, that way that wooden demon doesn't gets his hands on Hannah." A scoff slipped out of his mouth. "That thing shouldn't be out of that new book in the first place. He hurt Hazel, Stine, and who's he going to hurt next? My girlfriend." He took my hand, having me walk over to the kitchen with him. "Hannah..." he breathed. "Let me stay for the night. Tomorrow is only Friday. I know your dad can handle him but..."

"Zach." I looked into his eyes. "I'll be fine. My dad can keep an eye on him. In case he doesn't something wrong, meaning that I'm talking about Slappy, I'll put him a trunk," I joked heartily.

"Alright," he chuckled lightly. "Just call me when you need me, okay?" He gave me a kiss. I watched both him and Champ leave the house before dad even came downstairs. Maybe to get out of the house, thinking that Slappy would start attacking them. Zach did stop at the door, giving a wave of goodnight.

"Bye," I waved in return, entering back to the living room by the time dad came down the steps.

"Zach and Champ left?" he inquired with a raised brow.

"Yep." I nodded. "Wanna watch a movie before we go to bed?" I asked, going over to the couch, sitting down on the cushion. "We hadn't done that in awhile."

Dad thought about it for a moment. "Sure, why not," he answered. "Then it's bedtime for you, young lady," he playfully stricted. I laughed when he did that. "Scary movie?" he guessed, knowing that's the kind of movies that we enjoy.

"Certainly," I returned with a smile. "How about a classic one; _Frankenstein_?" After saying that, I couldn't help but giggle. "Franken_stein_. Now that I think about it, the last words sounded like your name, dad. Only spelled differently."

Dad laughed, too. "Very funny, Hannah, very funny." He got the movie set up, went over to the couch, and sat down next to me. "You used to be afraid of this movie," he recalled, picking up the DVD remote from the coffee table.

"Oh yeah," I remembered, knowing what he meant. "It was the _only _horror movie that I didn't want to watch until you got me into it, becoming one of my favorite horror movies."

"Yep." By the time we got to the main menu of the movie, he pressed _play_ to start it at the beginning. As the movie began to play, he set the remote on his lap. "Are you mad at me for letting Slappy out?" He didn't look at me when he asked that.

"Yeah... I still am," I sighed. "You could've told me what you were doing," I frowned, disappointed that he hadn't done that. "You could've asked me if it's okay to free Slappy out of the new book."

"Then you'll end up saying no," he frowned back. He played around with a thread a little. "Do you miss Hazel?" he suddenly brought up.

My eyes looked down at the coffee table. "Yeah... I do..." I answered with a nod of my head. "When are you going to pick her up?"

"When they call me." Dad leaned back, resting his head on the couch, placing his hand on the arm of the furniture. "I don't when she'll get better," he told me. "But I hope it'll be soon and not for her to be there...for the rest of her life like she thinks it's going to be," he kinda muttered.

I didn't say anything else after he finished speaking. I don't want her to be in that place forever, either. It sends chills just thinking about it. People can be there for years and years. Boy, I hope it doesn't _traumatized _her.

Leaning again the couch as well, me and dad watched the movie until it was over.

I got up from the couch, heading to my room upstairs when I heard sniffling again. Looks like Slappy is awake.

Not wanting to go and check up on him, I went over to the staircase. "Dad," I called up. "Slappy is crying," I announced before I head off to bed.

"Alright, thanks," he answered back. "I'll deal with him, okay? You just go upstairs and go to bed," he told me. "Have sweet dreams," he then added, wishing me a goodnight.

"Night, and same goes for you, too," I returned.

Doing my best to ignore that gremlin's sniffling, I entered my room to myself ready for bed. I put on fresh pajamas. Next I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth right before I hit the hay. So once my teeth are all white, I placed my toothbrush down after I rinsed it out as well as the excess foam from my mouth that is in the color of blue-ish green, looking like one of the marbles that you play with.

Removing the hair tie that had been on my wrist, I wrapped the loop around my hair several times until it was tight enough.

Satisfied, I grinned happily, walking out of the bathroom, turning the light off along the way when I saw dad walking up the steps, sending me a goodnight wave with me returning it back to him, seeing him to go check on that wooden tuxedo demon, making me lose my smile.

Dad better get him to change... If not, he'll have no choice but to put him back in the book with the other monsters in there. I don't care what happened to him. All I know that he's evil, and even though I stated towards that he looks ill, that doesn't mean I care for him.

Although once Slappy _does _change someday, how'll Hazel react? She did got panicky when Maniac mentioned that dummy by name, having me feel concerned about her moment to the point that she had to get away from us to get air.

Now when I think about it, what will happen when she sees him again? Surely she'll have that same episode, seemingly that it's gonna take time for her to get used to him for being a creepy puppet made out of wood and cloth. Again, she'll just have another panic attack... I don't care if that wooden gremlin is reformed or not, what he did to her was wrong.

He better not be staying out of his book for a long time, I thought with no care. I don't want a monster to be my sibling. I rather have a human for a new sibling, like Hazel.

I'm not entirely sure if dad wants another daughter. He does treat her like one, though. Are all parents like that to all children when it's not even their own kids? I guess so. It'll be nice to have a sister, unless dad does adopt her, that is. I did ask him for her to stay with us and he agreed, knowing that she wouldn't have to live by herself anymore.

I'm surprised that she did survive all by herself from a very young age. It must've been hard for her. A lot of kids that young would...not make it on their own. They can't cook or anything. They just played while their parents are doing adult stuff in the house.

Come to think of it, I don't think Hazel has any kind of fun ever since she left her god parents, along with quitting school.

Speaking of school, dad is right. She doesn't talk to anyone else but me, my father, and the boys. But we can't force her to communicate with other people since she's kinda shy, only talking when she feels like it. Plus, she's very quiet, too.

Heading to my room, I went over to my bed, pulling the covers, getting onto the mattress when I heard something on the window, like a pebble.

Really? Just as I was about to go to sleep. Shoving the blankets off of me, I went over to the window to tell who ever it is to go home, knowing how late it is.

Grabbing the curtains, I pull them apart to see a familiar face in front of me. "Oh!" I let out a startled yelp when it was only Zach. I grabbed the bottom part of my bedroom window, lifting it up all the way. "Zach, what are you doing here?" I asked. "Shouldn't you be in bed by now?"

"Sorry," he answered. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay since, you know..."

"Zach, I'm fine," I assured him, leaning out the window, facing down at my boyfriend. "Dad can handle Slappy."

Zach breathed out of his nose. "Mind if I can come into your room?" he grinned.

I tossed my ponytail onto my left shoulder, shaking my head. "Dad isn't going to allow you to be in my room," I told him sincerely. "I don't want him to have that red thing when he gets angry. Adding to that, he'll ended up grounding me like last time when I confessed to him that I sneak out at night when we're at the mall for us to head to the high school," I explained.

"Oh." He swept his hand over his head, smiling a sheepish smile. "But in case you need me, call me, and I'll be here," he said with promising words. He went to leave when he stopped to look up at my bedroom window. "You know, when I first met you..." It looks like he felt embarrassed for what he had to say.

"Yeah?" I responded, waiting for him to finish with a curious look on my face.

Zach chuckled, trying to hide his bashfulness. "When I first met you, and how you dealt with the monsters, being brave that you are, it makes you look..." Another chuckle. "Hot," he spilled out.

My face began to get warm as a scarlet color formed on my skin with a frown on my face in surprise. That frown turned upside down when I released a giggle. "Really?" I perked up, feeling very complimented. "You think of me that way?"

"Heh...yeah..." he replied, the embarrassed feeling not going away. "You're pretty _and _hot," he commented, his face turning the same color as mine.

"I see," I answered with a small nod. "When I saw you the first time, I thought you're cute," I returned with a great manner of affection from up in my bedroom window. I burst out laughing, not being able to help hold it in, when his scarlet face brightened up. I then stopped when I heard a throat being cleared, turning to see dad standing at my doorway, arms crossed over his chest. "Zach's outside, wanting to know if I'm okay," I explained to him.

I was expecting him to yell or shout at me for talking to my boyfriend during this time of night. But to my surprise, he just let out a chuckle, going over to the window. I stepped back, making sure not to get in his way.

He peered down, a friendly smirk on his face. "Checking to see Hannah's okay for what she had explained to me?" he assumed.

"Yep," Zach returned. "Since that dummy is in there, I just wanted to make sure he didn't had his wooden hands on him. You should just turn him into wood shavings."

Dad shook his head at what Zach had suggested. "No can do, Zach. Like I said, I can deal with Slappy. Now go on." He made a shooing motion with hand. "Go put your p.j's on, grab your blankie, and go nap-nap." Now the last time he said that, he was ticked off when the Abominable Snowman got out of his book when Zach tried to put it away. This time, dad said it with such humor, leaving me to stifle my laughter. "See you at English class." He gave Zach a wave.

"Okay, see you tomorrow." After Zach's final words, I heard him walk back to his house, along with a door opening and closing in the process.

Stepping back from the window, dad pulled the window down, closing it up. He grabbed the curtains, closing is gently instead of doing it harshly like he did before.

"You better get to bed, missy," he stated, mixed with a strict and humored voice.

I rolled my eyes with amusement. "Sure thing," I answered. My eyes then turned serious. "Did Slappy stop his sniffling?" I asked, sitting down on my bed.

"Yes, I talked to him." He rubbed his temples. "He's refuses to apologize to Hazel like always. Adding to that, he believes that our relationship won't be fixed for what I did to him back in Chicago and months ago," Dad put in.

"I can't believe he cries," I remarked, referring to what I witness at the abandoned amusement park. "I always thought evil things, like Slappy, never had emotions other than being cruel," I mentioned.

Dad nodded. "Strange, yes. But that doesn't mean he can't have other feelings. Now when I think about what had happened about the monster invasions that happened here and from Chicago, I bet he was doing that to get my attention. That and he probably had a temper tantrum," he theorized. "I'll ask him that tomorrow," he decided, before gazing at me. "What?" he added in a questioning tone.

"You believe that he was having a temper tantrum that young children will get?" I frowned, showing that I didn't agree about his terms.

"Hey." He raised his hands as if to defend himself and his words. "It might not be that, okay? Like I said, I'll ask him about that tomorrow. I'll also made sure that whenever Hazel gets to go home, he'll apologize to her. It won't be easy, but he has to do it. I told him that since his allies turned against him and hurt him, it's what he did to her. To my surprise, he kinda agrees and said he'll think about apologizing to her, not keeping any promises whatsoever."

The only response I can give him is a simple nod. "I guess I can go with that." Laying down on my bed, I pulled the covers on top of me. "However, that doesn't mean I can trust that demon," I pointed.

"I know..." Dad began to walk away before stopping at the doorway. "Goodnight, Hannah," he smiled.

"Goodnight," I returned with a soft grin. He was about to leave when I spoke up. "Dad? Do you think that Slappy will change?"

He looked down at the floor, figuring out how to respond to my question. "I'm not sure..." was all he can answer with. "It's best for him to take his time. Evil things like him don't reform overnight," he explained. "Now we better get to bed, or else we'll look like zombies and ghouls," he advised in a joking manner.

"Haha, very funny," I chuckled with such small humor before giving him a serious look. "Please don't say zombies and ghouls," I requested afterwards. "I rather not think about that monster invasion."

"Sure, sure. Goodnight." With a final goodnight wave to me, he walked out of my room, closing the door halfway. I didn't care, that's how I always leave my door when I go to bed.

Turning onto my side, I closed my eyes, hoping that Hazel will come home soon. For Slappy going to be reformed, that's something that I'm doubting. I don't believe he's going to change. I'll give him a second chance, but I'm in disbelief about him going to be...reformed.

Only time will tell.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

My eyes are cracked with no sleep. Yeah, you heard me correctly, I woke up again in the middle of the damn night. I don't know why I'm awake again. It's like my body refuses to fall asleep. It stopped raining, not being the reason why I can't go back to sleep.

I grabbed my pillow, putting it over my face, seeing if that'll help. The result I got is that I needed oxygen, bringing the pillow off my face, gasping for air. I went on my left side then to my right side. No help. I sat up, punching my pillow. That didn't work either.

Ugh! Again, I'm getting ticked off. Why do I keep waking up? Now I'm...I'm...I'm... I can't think of anything of how frazzled I am.

I should go see Dr. Snyder, tell him what's going on with my sleep deprivation. Wait, do doctors sleep in this place? Or do they go home?

Wanting to find out myself, I flung the covers off of me, getting out of bed, walking to the door. I was so tired that I forgot that it was closed, leaving me to bump into it. On the stitches, right on my frickin stitches.

I almost screamed when I did that, sucking in a breath with gritted teeth. I don't want to wake up Jackson again, even though it'll not be on purpose. I'm surprised that he knew about the monster mayhem that happened months ago. How did it even got on the news anyway? Are there cameras in Madison, Delaware? Like the ones you see on store buildings. No way it was on the news, a part of me disbelieved. But he wouldn't lie to me… right? I mean I never saw the monster mayhem on the news. Mainly because I don't watch a lot of television from reading all the time. The last time I watched TV is back when I was living with my awful god parents, being forced to watch that one _Chucky _movie from Travis, then getting me into trouble by throwing the remote at the TV screen, making a large crack to make it stop working, blaming it on me.

Grabbing the doorknob, I opened the door carefully, not making a sound, walking out of the room, my feet touching the cold floor due to no rug or carpet underneath me, heading down the hall to see if Dr. Snyder has a room of his own that he sleeps in.

It's pretty creepy to be honest with you. Like, I'm just walking down the halls, seeing shadows casting around me. I literally jumped when I thought I saw a spider, only to turn out that it was from a spider plant hanging on the wall that I never noticed. Looks healthy, too. Bet the people who work here took care of the plant since plants are people; needing food and water to survive, or else it was gonna die.

Even though the storm had stopped, outside is really windy. By the time I got to the area where the patients hang out and mingle, a tree branch tapped on the window, like it was getting my attention. It did, almost causing me to yelp.

Yeah, I'm kinda like Champ; the cowardly one. Which is ridiculous because I read _Goosebumps _books ever since I was four before my biological parents died in thar car crash. To me it was strange. I was the one who came up with a plan during the monster invasion by that stupid dummy who created it, and I was the one who found out how to get out of the dungeon by just kicking a dirt wall, letting it fall and crumble, meaning that I'm more likely the smart in my friend group. Should I be proud? I don't know. I mean, how can you if you never smiled? Even the time where you _almost _had that feeling of...happiness.

As I was about to look for Dr. Snyder's bedroom unless he had one, I was suddenly pinned on the wall by someone. I was about to call for help when the person spoke first.

"Hazel, what are you doing up again?" I calmed down when it was only Jackson. "I heard footsteps. I thought some bad person got in this building," he explained, taking his hands off my shoulders. "I didn't know it was you." He swept his hand over his hair, looking a mess from sleeping.

"Sorry, I ended up waking up for no reason again," I answered, keeping my voice a whisper to avoid waking up any of the others. "You really scared me, too," I added. "I thought you were Trevor, knowing how much of a creep he is."

He let out a small chuckle. "Sorry," he returned meaningful. "I thought you were a robber or something. That's all. Where are you going anyway?" he questioned.

"I want to see Dr. Snyder, to tell him about my sleep problems," I told him. "I don't understand why I keep waking up."

"I'm wondering, too," Jackson nodded. "But he's asleep, so it's better to wait until tomorrow- Actually, today is tomorrow," he suddenly realized, smiling at that thought. "Come on, try going back to bed," he encouraged. "I'll tell Rosy that you couldn't sleep, and she'll let you sleep in."

Thinking about it, I gave him a nod, heading back to the room, listening to the wind whistle like a ghost, like it was telling me something in its own language.

I wish I was a ghost... that way I won't have these types of problems.

By the time we got to our room, I went back over to my bed, now really wanting to get some shut eye.

I'm going to be so damned tired when daylight comes, I bitterly thought, facing the wall, hugging the stuffed bear. And to start my combo, I had to add in as well.

"Try to sleep, Hazel," Jackson repeated as I heard his bed let out a groan. "People who have the same problem like you get a lot more snappy and aggressive when they never get enough sleep. Believe me, I have seen it before."

"I believe you..." I murmured with mixture of a mumbled voice. I wasn't sure he heard me or not. Doesn't really matter to me anyway. I knew he heard me, and doesn't have to show or say anything.

Taking the blanket, I pulled it over my head, leaving an opening so I can breathe and not suffocate, shutting my eyes, doing my best to wait for sleep to enter me.

I want to go home.

* * *

The morning sunshine shun through the window by the time daylight came. I took the covers off of me in a zombie like way from the lack of sleep, my eyelids feel heavy, making it difficult for me to open them.

More like sleepwalking, I got out of bed, look liking a drunk person that drank too much alcohol at a Bar last night, making my way to the window.

The sun wasn't at the top of the sky since it's early, probably seven a.m. in the morning, causing me to clenched my eyes tighter from the bright light that assaulted me. Man, I wish I never had this problem again. Lack of sleep is sure going to make me worse for my bipolar disorder.

Wanting to take my combo right away, I grabbed the bottle, only I was so tired that I can't focus on the directions that are written on the side of it.

"Hazel..."

"What?!" I snapped, my eyes now casting a glare until they adjusted to the person that I am now looking at, turning out it was only Rosy. "Oh," I realized my mistake, my eyes returning back to their tired state, my lack of sleep coming back to me. "Sorry... I thought you were..." I flipped my hand in an exhausting manner. "...someone else," I finished apologizing.

"That's okay," she forgave. "Jackson told me that you didn't get any sleep last night. More likely that you kept waking up."

"For no reason," I added grumpily. "I'm going to..." I showed her my combo. "...take this."

Right before I opened it, she took it out of my hand. "Go back to bed," Rosy suggested. "You can see Dr. Snyder when you feel more awake and more alert. You can tell him about last night and he'll give you something to help you sleep tonight," she smiled. "We don't want you to run into walls or anything or anybody." For some reason, she released a short laugh that sounded very nice. It made me want to laugh, too. But I was too tired, too depressed, not in the mood for laughing. I don't remember the last time I laughed...

Stumbling over my own feet, I managed to reach my bed. I didn't bother to pull up the covers since I'm laying on top of them. I was so exhausted that I went to sleep in a snap, hearing Rosy pad out the room, closing the door behind her. Good, that way it's quiet. I prefer quiet when I go take a nap and when I go to bed. Possibly the storm kept me up, or maybe it was just me.

I heard the door open again, assuming it was only Rosy getting something, not opening my eyes from the heavyweight. I don't want to lack any more sleep than I already had.

_SLASH!_

Cold water jolted me awake, causing me to scream, rolling off the bed right onto my back. I sputtered and spit, getting my wet hair out of my mouth. My dripping hair also blocked my view despite that it only stops at my shoulders like I previously mentioned.

Wiping the hair out of my eyes, I saw Trevor glowering at me with a bucket in his hands, turned upside down. I opened my mouth to protest when he yelled at me.

"I wanted you to know that _I am _still mad for getting me in trouble!" he fumed angrily. "It's all _your _fault!"

"_My _fault!?" I questioned loudly and angrily as well. "How is it my fault that you got in trouble? You got what you deserved, Trevor. You were too close to touching my personal area, almost broke my arm, screamed into my ear, _and_ punched Jackson, ending up giving him a nosebleed," I listed. I picked myself off the floor. "And thanks to you, my bed is wet, along with my hair, _and _you disturbed my sleep because I didn't sleep well last night." I felt the drops of water roll down my back and on my shoulders. "Now if you'll get out of the room, I want to go back to sleep," I requested, my exhausted state. "Before I start yelling," I finished.

"I am _so _scared of you," he ignored, waving his hands in fake dramatic. "You know, cold water perks up a person."

"Oh, really?" I replied with sarcasm. "Well, guess what?" I grabbed one of my _Goosebumps _books. "Get out... or I'll throw this book at ya," I warned, getting ready to do it. I knew I shouldn't throw any of my books, but this dude is starting to get on my nerves.

Trevor crossed his arms over his chest. "A book? You're going to throw a book at me? Girl, it's a _paperback _book. Like look." He went over and picked up one of the books. "The book covers are made of thin cardboard, and-" He stopped talking, his eyes going wide. "No way, are these...are these..." I saw his excitement grew, surprising me. "Are these..._Goosebumps _books?" he manage to push out.

I set the book back down. "Yeah... You know about these books?"

"Do I!" His expression didn't change. "I used to read these books all the time when I was a young lad. Man, those were the days. But when I got older, my parents told me I shouldn't be reading these books anymore." He shrugged his shoulders. "I may have an ego problem, but I think another reason why I'm here is because my parents believe that these are kiddie books, and they think I won't 'act like my age'." He made quotes with for the last words with his fingers.

I was confused, arching a brow. "Hold on, hold on," I quickly interfered, raising a hand in front of him. "You're parents also sent you here because they believe you won't act your own age, and they told you that you can't read _Goosebumps _books anymore?"

"That's how they always are," he nodded. "They made me get rid of my books, saying I should read something that is 'for my age'," he quoted again. "That I should read a book series titled _Harry Potter_. Yuck." He stuck out his tongue. "I read one, didn't like it, refusing to read anymore of those type of books. I'm more of a... horror reader."

"Uh huh." For some reason, I didn't believe that he read these types of books. "Since you read these books, what was the eighth book in the original _Goosebumps _series?" I quizzed him.

Trevor flipped his hand with a light scoff. "That's too easy. It's _The Girl Who Cried Monster_," he answered in a satisfying way. "Heh. That title reminds of _The Boy Who Cried Wolf_. There are a lot of references in a lot of these _Goosebumps _books."

"References?" I had to question. "What do you mean these books have references?"

His eyes widen. "You didn't realize there are references in these cool books?!" he proclaimed loudly. "I can't believe you didn't even noticed them," he grinned with a surprised look on his face.

I, however, did not have the same look that he has. "Is that a bad thing?" I said. "Should I feel guilty for not noticing any of them?" I looked down at the floor with my eyes, leaning against the dresser. He let out a chuckle, having me lift my eyes straight at him. "What?" I questioned a bit irritated. "Why are you laughing at me? I don't like to be laughed at."

He stopped chuckling. "I'm not laughing _at _you, I'm laughing because I'm just shocked that you never knew you didn't there were references in these spooky books," he explained the best as he could.

"Oh..." I kinda understood with a simple nod. "You should...ask your parents to get your favorite books back; _Goosebumps _books," I suggested, flicking my hair off my stitches.

He only shook his head, replying back to what I told him. "No, I can't. They'll just say 'Trevor, those books range up to seven to twelve year old's; reading level is at grade four'," he stated and mimicked his parents words. "When I'm done being here, I'm gonna call my aunt and uncle to ask if I can stay with them until I'm ready to go live on my own." He set the book down and picked up another one. "_Stay Out Of The Basement_." After he read the book title, his grin grew wider. "Is it okay for me to borrow this book?" he asked, looking at the summary that is on the back of the book. "I promise I'll give it back before you leave."

Although he asked, I took the book away from him, his face filled with surprise when it got snatched out of his hand. "Sorry," I answered, not wanting him to get mad at me. "I'm real sorry. But...I just can't. You touched me the wrong way, you hurt me, you yelled at me, and punched Jackson. I don't know you, at all," I said, placing the book back with the others. "I don't trust you borrowing one of my books..." I looked away from him, avoiding his stare. "...I don't want you to wreck them." I turned away from him, facing Jackson's bed. "Now please excuse me when I go back to bed." Although I'm soaked, I don't think Jackson would care when he sees me sleeping on his bed. Besides, Rosy will just dry off our sheets for us.

I waited for him to say something to me. Something cruel and nasty. Instead, all I heard was footsteps leaving the room and muttering. I don't know what he's muttering about, but I'm hoping he's not thinking about hurting me, or worse, take my books.

Going over to Jackson's bed, my tiredness came back. I got under the covers, getting his mattress all wet from all the cold water that got dumped on me.

At least none of the water landed on my books, or else I'll be really upset and angry.

With sleep coming back, I decided to rest some more, or in this case, a lot more. But when I wanted to read a book, I got up from the bed to pick one. I'll just read two or three chapters of... Before I can finish my thought, I noticed something was missing.

One of my books. One of my _Goosebumps _books is missing.

I couldn't help but to let out a scream.


	24. Chapter 24: Who Took The Book?

**Chapter 24: Who Took The Book?**

* * *

I stopped screaming when the door burst open, slamming against the wall, flinching at the sound that rang in my ears. "Hazel?!" I heard a voice from behind me until I got spun around, facing Jackson. "What happened?!"

My face is now red. "U-Uh..." I tried to come up with an assuring answer, not wanting him to think that a missing book is stupid to scream about. "I, um, I..." My hung my head, defeated. "Sorry for screaming like that... It's just...one of my books is missing," I apologized, not looking at him in fear he'll start laughing for something so retarded.

However, I was caught off guard when he didn't laugh at me. "One of your books is missing?" he questioned in confusion. I looked up to see that his brows are squished together. "How do you know that one of them is missing?" he asked, looking at all of my books.

"I looked at each book title when I was unpacking my stuff when I first came here," I explained. "I know each title by heart considering that I read each one multiple times."

"Okay? But... which book is missing? It looks like you had all of them..." He kept looking at my books, going through them, reading the titles on the covers.

"Stine didn't pack all the books; just some of them," I kept explaining. "The book I'm missing is... _Vampire Breath_. It has a vampire coming out a coffin, holding dead roses in his hand with a bottle that has, I think, blue mist inside with a label that says _Vampire Breath _on it right in front of him on the floor, and the book cover along with the word _Goosebumps _is purple," I described, remembering the details of the book. "The tagline on that book reads _open wide and say...mouthwash!_" I added in. "A lot of these books have taglines, except for the newer ones like the _Goosebumps Most Wanted _series as an example."

"Are you sure you didn't misplace it?" he further asked, thinking that was the case.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Oh, puh-lease. Like I would lose one of my books from my favorite horror series," I dejected. "I take care of books very well, thank you. I made sure the book covers are in tact, the pages perfect with no tears or anything, and most importantly, keeping the books clean; no stains, no nothing. Not even markings." I looked at the books that he went through, picking one up. "I know that book was in the pile..." I set the book back down, running my fingers on the word _Goosebumps_, feeling the bumpy texture. "Trevor was in here, going through my books…wanting to borrow one to read..." I remembered.

"You think he took it?" I looked to see a raised brow from Jackson. "Since he was here, he basically took a book from the pile," he theorized.

Another eye roll came to me. "Yeah, right. I know he's a creep, but I don't believe he's the type of person that steals things." I drummed my fingers on the dresser top. "I'm still tired from last night, and I cannot think straight. Oh, by the way, Trevor dumped water on me, saying it was _my _fault for getting him into trouble yesterday," I informed greatly, raising the volume up a notch before going back to the dull version of it. "So both our beds are wet since I'm soaked from head to toe."

"That means he took your book!" Jackson exclaimed, raising his hands in desperation.

"No, he didn't!" I snapped angrily, my mood switching at an instant. "Besides, I need more sleep before I start my therapy sessions and before I take my combo, hoping it'll make me feel better," I muttered, not wanting to be bothered.

He seemed to catch my message because I heard him pitter-patter out the door, closing it behind him.

He's polite, I thought, meaning it very well, not being sarcastic. Rosy's right, he is a pretty nice fella, the fact that he's really...cute. My face burned a little more, the redness not going away when his name bounced inside my skull. I...really wanted to go out on a date with him whenever he gets the chance to ask me out again. But the thing is... I'm not sure it'll make me feel better...

What if I get adopted by Stine? I asked myself silently. Will that make me feel better? Those questions will have to wait until I get out of here.

Going over to my bed, I felt the sheets. Wet. Soaking wet. Even Hannah's teddy bear is all moist. I can ask Rosy to dry off the stuffed toy, wanting it to be all soft and fluffy again like it was before, seeing how dark the fur is then it was the last time, knowing the fact that the color is actually a light brown from all the water that damn creep dumped on me.

Feeling around for a dry spot, I manage to find one, right near the wall. I grabbed my pillow, flipping it over to the dry side, moving it over to the dry area of the bed when my stitches began to burn. Not badly, though, but I put on the numbing gel on it from getting it any worse.

I need to make sure to tell the nurse that I borrowed the stuff, I noted myself a reminder. I'm nervous about telling her about it. What if I get kicked out and get sent to a _different _mental hospital, like the ones where they strap patients in their beds? That would be terrifying! Luckily this type of mental hospital isn't scary at all.

I checked my blanket of any dry spots. Only it was so wet, I can barely find any dry spots that I threw the blanket onto the floor in both frustration and anger.

"Thanks a lot, Trevor!" I spoke loudly with a teenage attitude that all girls my age will get sometimes when they have a bad mood or something. I always have terrible moods which isn't a big surprise.

Grabbing Jackson's blanket off of his bed, despite being damp from me being all wet, I dragged it over to my own cot, going over to the only dry spot on the mattress, again, near the wall.

This is gonna be comfortable. Laying down, I noticed I don't have a lot of room when I want to go into a different sleeping position; laying on one of my sides. Instead, I stayed the way I was at, shutting my eyes, patiently for sleep to come to me, that way I'll feel less moody and more alert when I do all my therapy sessions all over again.

Not only that, I wanted to know who took one of my _Goosebumps _books.

I was shocked when I found out during tonight after dinner.

* * *

I opened my eyes a few hours later, feeling more awake, more alert. I read the clock, seeing that it's eleven thirty a.m., so I hadn't miss lunch time. Hm. I should eat before I start my therapy sessions, I decided, thinking it was a good idea. That way I won't...well I can be snappy even when I do have food inside my systems of my body.

Is lunch still going? I wondered in thought. I didn't get a chance to answer when the door popped open, making me jump as I let out a startled yelp.

"Sorry, dear." It was Rosy and I relaxed, placing a hand on my chest to my beating heart that is going a hundred miles. "Didn't mean to scare ya," she chuckled, apologizing. "I came to see how you're doing." She walked over to my bed, putting her hand on it when she took it off right away. "Why is your bed all wet, darling?" she asked, going back to feeling the mattress again.

I hung my head. "Trevor dumped water on me..." I answered, my voice all mumbily. "I was sleeping and he dumped it on me, saying it was _my _fault when he got in trouble from yesterday. And yes, I know it _wasn't _my fault for what he did to me and... he saw my books, knowing what they are. He asked if he could borrow one to read; promising me that he'll give it back before I leave. Only..." I let out a sigh. "...I don't know him at all. I don't want any of my books to get ruined by some..." I began thinking of a word to describe him, not wanting to be offensive in case I get yelled out for saying a mean word, even though I'm not bully or anything. "Stranger," I picked out, finding the right phrase. "But before I wanted to sleep in, I wanted to read one of my books-"

"Which book?" I gave her a sharp look when she interrupted me. "Sorry," she apologized again. "Didn't mean to cut you off. My bad. Please, continue," she said, gesturing her hand in order me to finish what I have to say.

Breathing out of my nose, I did so. "Before I wanted to sleep in, I wanted to read one of my books," I repeated the last sentence before adding more to it. "But it's missing. The book I wanted to read is called _Vampire Breath_. Only it's not with the other books!" I yelled, my anger rising inside of me. "I know what books Stine had packed for me because I unpacked the stuff when I first arrived at this damn place. No offense. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. Anyway, getting off track here, I believe someone took it. I don't know if it was taken before I went back to sleep or the other day or... Jackson had a theory that Trevor might've taken it, except I don't believe it," I brushed off. "Oh yeah," I then remembered. "I slept on Jackson's bed, getting it wet; damped to be exact. Even my teddy- Well it's not my teddy bear, it's Hannah's." I held it up by its furry, wet paw. "She...gave it to me for comfort and it's all wet, too."

"You want me to dry all your sheets?" she offered. Of course, I nodded my head. "I'll also dry your- I mean your friend's stuff animal." She gestured her hand. "Can you get off the bed, please?" I did what she told me. "Thanks." Taking my sheets, I also gave her my pillow, telling her it's wet, too. "Thanks," she accepted before grabbing Jackson's bed, taking his stuff as well. "Oh, and I'll keep a lookout for..." She trailed off, trying to remember the book title.

"Huh? Oh yeah. _Vampire Breath_," I reminded her, and told her what the book cover looked like; describing every detail that it has. "If you find it, make sure it's in good shape. No tears or anything," I told her.

"Okay." She gave me a returning nod. "You better get something to eat," she advised me. "Before lunch is over."

"...I was thinking the same thing," I replied, rubbing my head when my stomach rumbled, causing my face to turn a slight shade of red. "I'll get going." Getting up from my bed, I made my way out of the room before Rosy did, stopping at the door. "I'll do my therapy sessions once I got food in me."

Rosy kept her smile on, wishing I can do the same thing. "Good idea," she agreed. "Aren't you going to take your combo?" she then asked.

I sucked in a lungful of air before letting it out. "I'll take it after I eat," I answered, deciding it was the best thing to do. "I better go." So with that, I made my way to the cafe, hoping I'm not too late for lunch.

And of course, I ran into that one boy I really like.

Jackson.

We let out yelps, falling onto the floor. Luckily, I didn't hit my head hard this time, only a little bit, getting a small headache. I sat up, rubbing the area, messaging the small pain away, not wanting it to get worse.

I then saw his hand out to me, noticing that he already stood up. I took my hand into his, feeling my face burn in a red shade of color. "Sorry..." I murmured, hiding my embarrassment for every time I...run into him.

Is it normal for girls like me to do that? I know for a fact that I like him and he likes me back, but… do girls literally bump into a guy that they like? Or do they just... I don't know. I'm on a dry spell when it comes to...love. Considering that I dropped out of school since kindergarten.

"Sorry..." I repeated my apology. "I...wasn't watching where I was going," I said, brushing my toe on the floor, biting my tongue.

"That's okay," Jackson let out a chuckle, having me look at his silver colored eyes. In fact, now that I think about it, I have never seen a guy- Well, a boy with silver eyes before in my life. Every time I saw those eyes of his, they just... I don't know… melt my soul? "We really need to stop bumping into each other," he chortled out a joke, laughing. Uh huh. "I was going to come get you for lunch," he told me with his bright, cute grin of his. That was nice of him... "I looked for your book and can't find it yet," he put in.

I sighed. "We'll find it. I told Rosy what it looks like, so she's going to look out for it, too," I replied. My stomach growled. "Come on," I stated. "I better get food in me." I started walking with him right by my side.

"Did you take your combo?" I shook my head. "Why not?" he questioned after receiving my answer.

"Don't be dramatic," I consulted with a heavy breath. "I'll take it once I'm done eating. I guess I wanted to see, I don't know if the new treatment has any side effects. Like getting food in your stomach before taking it. All treatment medications have side effects. Right?" I turned to him, waiting for what he has to say.

"I guess," he responded, clicking his tongue on the roof of his mouth. "Not all of them have side effects, while others do."

"Some medications stop working," I added in a remarkable tone.

"I can agree with you there," he simply returned with a solemn nod. "So..." he began. "How are you liking it here?" he asked.

I looked at him. "Hm?"

"How are you liking it here?"

"Mm..." I shrugged my shoulders, answering his repeated question. "It's not as bad as I thought it would be. In my mind, I thought it would be one of those mental hospitals like in the movies where they restrain their patients or put them on a straight jacket." I breathed out of my nose, feeling guilty for myself. "I wish I never cut myself..." I muttered with an unduced tone. "All thanks to my stupid voices in my head just to make them feel satisfied." I kicked a random pen that was in front of me, watching it roll away from me. "Now that I think about it..." Another shrug of my shoulders. "I guess Hannah did the right thing to tell her dad what I did to myself."

Jackson clicked his tongue again. "She's sounds like a nice person."

"She is," I responded. "She's like...another sister to me. A lot better than my god brother, Travis. I just hope those dreams that I had of him won't come true. Dreams are just dreams."

"What if they do come true?" When he asked that, I gave him a disbelief look. "You don't have to believe me," he defended, raising his hands. "Some scientists believe that dreams can predict the future."

"Yeah right," I scoffed in mortal disbelief. "What are ya? Some kind of nerd?"

"Maybe." He put on a sheepish grin. "I can be a nerd from time to time," he admitted sheepishly.

I rolled my eyes. "Uh huh. Your both cute and a nerd." For some reason, he just laughed out loud. "I wasn't being funny," I spoke in a dull voice, feeling slightly annoyed, until I went into anger mode when he kept on laughing. "_I wasn't being funny!" _I voiced out in a loud, screeching volume.

That made him stop at an instant. "Sorry about that. I only laughed because it was a nice complement," he explained, calming down.

I didn't say anything back, feeling my mood going back the way it was before. I brushed my hair behind my ear as me and him continued on our way to the cafe, wondering what they have there.

Walking, I can't help myself when I kept looking at Jackson with the corner of my eye. He's so cute. That thought made my face turn that one color.

Red.

But why? Oh yeah. I almost forgot. I have a crush on him and really like him. Hm. I guess a date would help make me feel...less dull. Maybe to make me...happy? Sigh. But what if it doesn't? I know I mentioned this like a hundred times, but...nothing makes me smile. I bet that wish I made last night won't make me feel better, either. I won't tell you what I wished for; I just know that it won't work to make me feel… happy again.

Sometimes things won't go as planned. Only how was I supposed to know if my wish that I made won't come true? Some wishes can come true unless you wish hard enough. I didn't want to say it out loud because wishes are supposed to be secret, and when you release your wish, it might not come true.

There's one wish I have in mind.

My _Goosebumps _book titled _Vampire Breath_, wishing it where it was. Not only that, wishing to know who took the book out of that room.

I don't believe that Trevor would have taken it, could he? No. He didn't. He may seem like a creep, Hazel, I told myself, but he's not the type of guy that would steal belongings that you own. That nice demeanor can never fool you. That's why you didn't want him to burrow any of your books. It couldn't be him... right?

However, a question came into my head in four words. Just four words.

Who took the book?

* * *

The cafe was crowded by the time we arrived. At first glance, there was no seat after I got my food. I told Jackson to get food, too. He told me had already eaten, which I didn't mind at all. Most girls would be pretty upset when a guy that they like will eat their food instead of waiting for their girlfriends. Except me and him are not in a relationship. Yet. I don't think it matters. If Jackson got hungry and couldn't wait for me, I don't care if he ate as long as he did.

The cafe was just having sandwiches that patients can make. I made my favorite and rare sandwich that I like to eat. It has boloney, cheese, lettuce, and mayonnaise. I know. A weird food combination. People like certain foods, right? Everyone likes and dislikes different things. Like types of food. Like I said before, I can't stand spicy food.

I looked around. The room was so packed that I can't find an empty table. I was too afraid to ask anybody to leave their table, fearing that they'll think I'm a mean girl, which I'm not. Just because I don't smile, doesn't mean I'm a cruel person.

Jackson was the only to walk up to one of the tables, asking the people for us to have it. It wasn't near a window like our usual table. It was more in the center of the room.

I was expecting them to tell us no and for us to find a different table like I thought they would. Not all people are nice.

To my own surprise, they let us. Even leaving the table because they have to start their therapy sessions.

I sat down at one end while Jackson at the other. Kind of like a date. Only it wasn't considering that we're in a mental hospital.

Biting down on my sandwich, I noticed how he got very quiet. It wasn't weird or anything, he was probably just in his own world. I'm like that sometimes. I would just space off and just...think. I then picked up my drink, taking a long gulp of water.

"Do you want to go out on a date?" Right after those words that came out of his mouth, I started to choke on the clear liquid, coughing. "Crap!" he exclaimed, his chair scraping against the floor. He firmly but gently, hit me on the back. The water went up my throat instead of going down, spewing all over my sandwich, getting it all wet like I am. "Are you alright?" he then asked with concern once I caught my breath.

"Yes," I rasped, my throat feelings there's still water in it. "Now what did you just say? Did you say that you want to take me out a date?" I proceeded to clarify.

"After our therapy sessions," he confirmed with a bashful smile. "I mean unless you want to that is."

I thought about it. "Sure. After our therapy sessions, that is. And when we come back, I'll ask Rosy if she found my book."

"And I'll ask her for permission for us; just the two of us, to go out on a..." A grin spread across his face. "Date." He maintained his smile. "I know a perfect restaurant not too far from here," he told me.

I was confused at first before nodding my head. "Oh yeah..." I now remembered. "You drove yourself here." I took another bite of my wet sandwich, not caring about the soakness at all. "I wish I can drive..." I stated glumly, sipping my water to avoid anymore choking.

Jackson didn't say anything else, drumming his fingers on the table, looking around the cafe, watching others eating and talking.

That's when a new question came to me. "Did the monster invasion really get on the news?" I didn't mean to say it out loud, it just did. "Did the monster invasion really get on the news?" I said, repeating it after catching his confused expression with squished eyebrows adding to it.

He looked at me with his eyes, locking them with mine. "Yes," he finally answered after a long, brief silence, keeping his voice hushed. "I know it's hard to believe, but it was on the news channel. I swear. I even recorded on my phone in case I wanted to prove to anybody here since no one else believes me." He motioned his hand forward, taking out his cell phone, along with headsets, plugging them in. "Here," he said. "Take a listen and watch. It's short."

Even though I wasn't convinced that the monster invasion from Madison was on the news channel, I put on the headsets on my head, feeling the soft parts on my ears.

I listened to every detail, seeing cameras, probably from those large buildings, aim at the monsters from Stine's books.

I should tell him about this, I decided. Not now, but maybe someday. However, I believe that he won't believe me. But how should I know?

I gave the phone back to Jackson. "Are you guys allowed to have phones?"

"Um..." Putting his phone away, he can only shrug his shoulders. "...no. The people working here believe that we can hurt ourselves with these," he explained.

"Then why do you have your phone here?" I arched a brow.

"Heh." He let out a chuckle. "I...hide it. So it won't be taken away from me," he answered with a small guilt on his face.

"Mm," was all I can come up with for a response. Finishing up my food, I briefly got up. "I'm gonna go take my combo and go see Dr. Snyder," I told him.

"Okay. I'll see you at group therapy." He gave me a light wave and I returned the favor back to him.

Walking back to my room, I almost ran into Rosy, who didn't see me come around the corner, getting the hair out of her eyes. "Pardon me," she accused politely. "Didn't see you there," she said. "I haven't found your book just yet," she reported. "But I need to ask you something. What does it look like? You didn't tell me what the book looks like."

I bit my lip. I never like to repeat things all the time. But I told her the description of the book cover. "It has a vampire coming out a coffin, holding dead roses in his hand with a bottle that has, I think, blue mist inside with a label that says _Vampire Breath _on it right in front of him on the floor, and the book cover along with the word _Goosebumps _is purple," I explained every detail. "The tagline on that book reads _open wide and say...mouthwash!_" I further explained. "A lot of the _Goosebumps _books have taglines except for the newer ones like for example the _Goosebumps Most Wanted _series."

"Okay, thank you," she thanked, the politeness not leaving her. "Have a nice day, too," she added, walking past me.

You too, I thought silently, making my way to the sleeping room.

By the time I got there, I picked up my pill bottle, reading the instructions. _Take one a day_, it read. _Side effects may include drowsiness or dizziness... _Great... These are the same side effects from one the last medications I took. _This treatment will take up to a week or two for it to start to kick in, _it continued to say. I guess that isn't too bad... I tried to open up the lid but with no success. I tugged and I turned the cap.

It was stuck short and before I can start to get angry and frustrated, I saw the instructions on how to open it. _Press lid; turn_. Oh. I did just that.

Grabbing my water bottle from the previous night, I put my first pill, almost gagging at the bitter taste, not expecting it at all. It rolled off my tongue, landing on my hand. "Yuck!" I stuck out my tongue and exclaimed in full disgust. "Why does it taste like that?" I wondered, looking down at it. "Why does it have that...nasty taste?"

"What do you expect for that treatment to taste like?" A startled gasp escaped my mouth when I heard someone behind me, having me whirl my head around, almost resulting in a stiff neck. "What do you expect that treatment to taste like?" Trevor repeatedly said, leaning against the doorframe. "Do you expect it to taste like bubblegum or something?" he slid out.

I rolled my eyes at this creep. "What do you want now?" I asked arrogantly, not wanting to deal with him anymore. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Hmph. Busy with what? Spitting up your pill?" He had a smirk that reminded me of Travis.

"Do you want me to call Rosy?" I confided, my voice filled with a threatening tone.

The result I got was a light chuckle. "Your funny."

"...I wasn't being funny," I venomed with gritted teeth. "I'm already having a bad day. First with you pouring water on me and my book being missing." I popped the pill back in my mouth, having it under my tongue. I opened up my water bottle, gulping it down with one swallow. I can already start to feel the drowsiness start to kick in.

"Pft. Your book is missing?" he scoffed with no care at all. "Girl, you got a lot on that dresser," he pointed with a septic finger.

"Not all of them!" I was starting to get boiled up by him. "I know that one of my books are missing because I _checked._ It's called _Vampire Breath_. I bet you saw it, did you? Or..." I narrowed my eyes, stepping up to him. "...did you take it?"

He stared at me. At first his eyes were wide but then went back with...coolness. "You told me not to borrow any of your books," he recalled early, the sly smirk on his face.

Something isn't right... The way he was acting. So instead of answering, I glide past him when he grabbed me by the shoulder. "You thought that I stole one of your books, huh?" he spoke with harshness, having me flinch at this. "I didn't take your book…" he hissed, tightening his grip on me. "I bet your _boyfriend _took it."

"He didn't take it and he's not my boyfriend!" I growled with a yell. I ripped away from him. "You're such a creep, Trevor. A real creep," I bruted out, giving him a hateful look. "Jackson has a theory that you took my book, but I don't believe him. At least not now. I'm not the type of person who accuse others. Now I need to get going." I gave one last glare, adding a stuck out tongue in the process. "I don't want to be late." With that, I stomped out the room, heading to Dr. Snyder's room.

When I got there, he wasn't in the room. So I decided to go in and sit down, waiting for him, drumming the tips of my fingers on the arm of my seat, leaning back on it.

By the time he gets here, I'm gonna shake his hand… Like a nice person would do, I decided, picking up on Jackson's advice for me to start getting used to physical contact.

Humming to myself, I got up, going over a mirror that was on the wall, smoothing my hair down. I was expecting to see the creepy version of myself; preparing for it.

Nope. Just myself. My normal self right on the reflection. I checked my stitches, seeing that the spot on my forehead seemed to be healing just a bit, but not much. Can't wait to get them taken off in four or five weeks, because now the numbing gel that I put on earlier is now starting to where off.

I touched them with the tip of my finger, just a light touch, and flinched, jerking my hand away from them. Never doing that again, I thought.

I fixed more parts of my hair. I guess Stine forgot to pack a brush for me. I don't blame him. I can just finger comb my hair since it's short. But I do need to take a shower. Unless they have shower products, that is.

I then heard someone walk in the room, having me look over my shoulder. "Hey..." I greeted softly.

"Hey," Dr. Snyder returned with a smile.

Going over to him, I took a deep breath, and stuck out my hand. He picked up what I wanted right away. "This is...a surprise," he laid out, taking my hand into his, giving it a gentle shake. "Did someone tell you to shake my hand?"

I dropped my shaken hand to my side. "Jackson told me it'll help me get used of physical contact since I have..." I trailed off, having a hard time to figure what the name is called for the fear of touch. "Um..." Damn... what is it called again? Think, Hazel. "Since I have..."

"Haphephobia? Yes, I know what you're talking about." He chuckled. "Have a seat," he said, gesturing his hand. I sat down at the seat I sat on before and he sat at the side of me. "So..." He set the clipboard on his lap. "How are you today?" he asked.

"Good. I guess..." I answered with a shrug. "I took my treatment; my combo, like you told me. I did it after I ate lunch," I then told him. "I also read that it'll only take a week or two for it to start working... And I'm fine with that. The one thing I don't like about are the side effects that it occurs."

"The drowsiness or dizziness?" He seemed to know what I was talking about. "Don't worry, it'll only last for several weeks," he assured me. "Anything else you would like to tell me before we continue?"

"I, uh...had trouble...sleeping...?" I replied.

He picked up his clipboard, ready to jot things down. "You had trouble sleeping?"

"Y-Yeah," I stammered, playing with my hair. "I was up half the night," I explained, resting my cheek on my hand, feeling tired due to the treatment that I took two minutes ago. "I was...going to tell you about my sleep problem last night." My eyelids began to get droopy. "Make sure that I don't fall asleep during this process..." I requested with a yawn.

"You want coffee?" When he offered that, my eyes went from drowsiness to confusion, my brows knitting together. "That is if you want any," he generally grinned.

"No thanks," I declined, not wanting to be rude. "I don't...like coffee."

"That's okay." He leaned back on his seat. "You were up half the night?" he said, going back to the topic. I answered by nodding my head. "Well…" I looked up when I heard him scribble on the clipboard. "That's part of your illness."

Confused, I responded. "Huh?"

He set the clipboard back down on his lap. "You see, Hazel," he started to explain, "people who have manic depression will have lack of sleep, or they'll sleep all day until the next day. They either go to sleep early or sleep late. With you, you slept until lunch time, correct?" Again, I nodded. "I would give you pills to help you sleep at night," he offered. "And I'll give vitamins to help you stay awake during the daytime, and daytime only."

"Isn't that too much pills?" I replied uncertainty, thinking it wasn't a good idea to put too much treatment in my body.

"When you follow my instructions of what time to take them, you'll be perfectly fine," he reassured me. "For your first treatment, I bet you read that you have to take one pill a day, which I trust you that you did. After you take..." He got up from his chair, going over to the cabinets, opening one, taking out a pill bottle. "...B12 vitamins, and make sure you eat something before you take these or else you'll... Well, let's just say you'll have an upset stomach. During the night, take these." He took out another pill bottle in his other hand. "These are sleeping pills. I give these to a lot of patients who told me that they have trouble sleeping. Take them around nine sharp, and you'll be out as light."

"Can I take my B12 now?" I asked. "I don't want to feel..." I felt like I drank too much wine that has too much alcohol in it, making me look drunk as hell. "...tired..." I manage to pull out.

"Since you ate lunch, yeah," Dr. Snyder allowed. "Oh, and did you take the other pill for your schizophrenia?"

For some reason, I had forgotten that he gave me two combo medications. "N-No. I-I, um... I...um..."

He seemed to sense my anxiety. "Don't worry, you can take it when you go back to your room. Just remember to take it along with your first combo, alright? I have some patients that would sometimes forget to take their medications and they freak out about it." His face turned serious. "But," he continued. "If you keep forgetting to take that second combo...you'll never get better." He put his smile back on. "Have a nice day, and here you go." He handed me my B12 and sleeping pills.

Boy, I hope this works. I walked out of the room. I should take my second combo, I decided.

_Aw, why?_

No! What do you want now? I shouted in my head.

_Nothing, _the voice answered, the same voice I've been hearing. _Don't you love talking to someone? _

I rather talk to a living person, rather then you, I pointed out as I continued to make my way to the room.

The voice let out a scoff. _Fine, have it your way_.

When it faded, I felt relieved since it was a very short conversation.

Once I reached my room, I took my second combo, reading the instructions. Same as the first one. After, I took my B12. I had little trouble opening up the pill bottle, and put one in my mouth. I was nervous of taking two pills at the same time, but I felt...okay.

Time for group therapy. I wonder if they'll be new people. What if one of the new people is that Trevor guy?

With that in mind, I headed for therapy group when I started thinking about that missing _Goosebumps _book, wanting to know who took it.

* * *

Group therapy was the same as always. Talking about our problems. I didn't talk much, but at least Trevor isn't in our group therapy. However, I did noticed a girl from yesterday during art therapy sitting next to me.

"Hey," I spoke, keeping my voice a hushed whisper. "Are you the girl with…"

"OCD," she replied, finishing my words. "Yes, I'm Lilly Ann," she introduced with a kind smile. "I saw you at art therapy. What's your name?"

"Hazel Monroe," I told her.

She gasped. "Hazel? That's such a nice name," she complimented. "What are you here for? I probably heard of you, but I was too focused on evening up my strings of my hoodie."

I repeated what I said before, telling her everything why I'm here. "So that's why I have to be kept an eye on for," I finished. "You know, when I was little, I didn't have friends. My god parents would be cruel to me, along with my god brother, and the kids at school would do the same thing, causing me to quit at kindergarten. I used to live by myself until I met Stine-"

"Wait," she cut me off. "Did you just say Stine?" Oh great, another person who knows about the author. "Is he the guy who wrote…"

"The _Goosebumps _books?" I nodded. "Yeah. Does everybody know him in this building because it seems like when I bring him up, people get all...giddy."

"When you find those type of people," she chuckled. "I have all of his books back at home," she told me. "I want to meet him, but he lives all the way in the town of Madison. I heard that there was a monster invasion. Jackson..." She pointed at him, who was talking to a couple of other guys. "...told me it was on the news. At first I didn't believe him until he showed it to me."

"Really?" I responded with shock. "He showed that to me at lunch. When did he showed you?" I asked.

"Before you arrived here," she shortly answered. "I asked him to show me, honestly." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I promised not to tell anybody else, letting him show the news to the other people that way he wouldn't get...picked on. What's your favorite book?" By the questions she's tossing at me, it looks like she wanted a friend.

"I believe it's _Night Of The Living Dummy_," I picked out. "I have a fear of dolls and dummies, making me have really bad panic attacks when I see them."

"Did you tell your doctor?"

"No..." I shook my head. "I'm decided that'll be too much for him. Maybe I should conquer my fear of those creepy things, like when Jackson told me to shake hands so I can get used of physical contact because I have a fear of being touched. He told me you don't like to shake hands..."

"That's correct." She seemed to take it lightly. "The reason I don't shake hands is that, well, I don't know what they touched," she explained. "By the way, how long are you going to be here? I probably will get to go home in a couple of days."

"Not sure..." I shrugged. The thought of not knowing when I'll go back home with Stine and Hannah made me feel sad, feeling water starting to rise in my eyes to the point where I have to leave.

I got up from my chair before group therapy was even over, speed walking down to me and Jackson's sleeping room.

Arriving, I saw that Rosy put our dry sheets on our cots, along with everything else. Including Hannah's teddy bear, which looks a lot more fluffier.

I laid down on my bed, letting the tears run down my face. I wasn't full on crying like I would normally do when I'm upset.

When will I get to go home? I wondered in thought, laying on my back, my eyes locked on the ceiling. It felt like I was here forever...even though it was only two days... I think.

"Don't worry," I assured myself out loud since no else is in the room. "You'll go home soon. It's not like you'll be here for five years straight."

"I _would_ be worried if I were you."

"Huh?!" I sat up, the stuffed toy rolling off the bed, having it land on the floor. I looked towards the doorway to see Trevor.

"I would be worried if I were you," he spoke repeatedly, walking in. "A lot of patients will be here for days, weeks, months, even years." He went over to my books, and I quickly got in front of them.

"Don't touch my books!" I yelled. "I already have one missing."

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes. "All I know is that _I _didn't take it since you told me you won't let me borrow any of them."

Something about those words made my eyes squint with a suspicious look. "Alright..." I got up from my bed. "If you say so." I felt his eyes on me as I left the room, almost running to Jackson, but stopped myself just in time. "Hey..." I blushed, staring down at the floor to avoid looking at his silver eyes.

"Hey," he greeted back. "Why did you ran out of the room?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders a little. "I was...just upset, that's all," I answered.

"About what?" He threw another question at me. "Is it about that _Vampire Breath _book?"

"...and wondering when I get to go home," I added, letting my shoulders do another shrug. I sighed. "We better get to art therapy before we're late," I suggested the best option.

"Yeah, yeah sure." He let out a chuckle. "We don't have to go now, but if you want to, that's cool with me. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Not saying anything back, I trudged down the hall to art therapy, wondering what we're doing this time.

I then remembered what Dr. Jones words when I painted a picture of Travis on my canvas, telling me that the reason I did that is because I 'miss' him. I don't miss him. Why would I miss a person that tortured me every day? I think that therapist is a loon. But I can't say that to her because of how kind she was towards everyone. I guess she said that to make me feel...better? Eh, I guess it did? Oh well... I hope I don't make another painting or anything of him again.

By the time I found the art therapy room, which took me a couple of times to search for, Dr. Jones came up to me. "Hello, dear," she brightly greeted. Does everyone who works here call their patients that? I don't mind, it's just that...can't they go by our names. "Do you like clay?" she asked, guiding me to a table.

"I...never did clay," I replied honestly.

"That's okay," she returned with the same, happy smile. Is she always this happy? "You're the first one here and early, too."

I blinked, not surprised at all like most people would feel. "Oh." I sat down at one of the chairs to see different colored clays. "Do I have to wait for the others...?" I asked, not knowing what to do right now.

"No, you can start unless you want to," she told me. "Go ahead," she gestured her hands with encouragement. "Make anything you like." Then she walked away.

Picking up a blue colored clay, which represents my mood, I molded it in my hands, getting it all softened up. It was difficult at first, but I manage to get it all soft up.

I should make something like... I began to think, except my head was empty, like someone took my...imagination, and just dumped it out like in a trash bin or something.

Playing around with the blue clay, I began thinking about Jackson and how...attractive he is. Of course, girls have different taste when it comes to guys. For a long time, I can never figure what type of guy I like. I believe my mind made up that I like someone like him.

Throughout my deep thinking, I played around with my clay in my hands even more to the point where I forgot about my missing book, distracting myself away from that situation. Besides, I'll find my book. I just hope I'll find it before I'm released from this place, and hoping, really hoping that it wouldn't be ruined. I like to keep my books mint condition; no crease marks or anything.

I kept molding and messing around with the clay, not noticing that more patients came in, including Jackson when I heard him say, "What you're making there?"

I jumped, dropping the clay on the table. "I-I'm not sure," I stammered, my face turning red, blushing at the sight of him as he sat down next to me. "I never used clay before, so..."

"Want me to show you how to make a cup?" Jackson offered nicely, taking some yellow clay. "I'm pretty good at making different stuff with clay," he boasted a little, not wanting to be rude. "Oh, and I was looking for you book, asking if any of the others saw it. They said no, but they'll keep an eye out for it."

"That's..." I started to say, then picked up the right words. "...nice of them." I picked up my clay off the table again. "About that cup you wanted to show me how to make?" I brought up, wanting to distract myself from my missing book.

"Sure, sure. You start the clay like this." During his 'teaching method', I tried to follow every step little by little. "Cups are easy to make," he continued to teach me. "A lot easier than making vases."

Once we finished, mine wasn't the way I wanted to be. But at least I did my best. Hmm... I can give this to Hannah as an apology gift. I wonder if Stine told Hannah that I am sorry for shoving her onto the floor...

"You two want to paint those?" Dr. Jones suddenly asked out of nowhere, making me jump in my seat again. "The paints are over there at that table," she calmly directed.

We got up from our chairs when I noticed a humorous smirk on Jackson's face. "What?" I questioned with a raised brow. "Why are you smirking like that?" I asked in full curiosity.

"Nothing, it's just that... it's pretty... adorable to see you jump," he hesitated to speak.

"Mm." I shrugged. "Wait," I realized all of a sudden, stunned that he said that one work to me. "You...think it's _adorable _to see me jump?"

He suppressed a chuckle, pulling out a chair, but didn't sit down. Instead, he forward his hand to the pulled out seat, having me sit down on it while he sat at the other one, bringing it close to mine and answered my reply. "I don't think, I _know_." His grin grew, his cheeks going up, along with crease marks at the corners of my eyes. "Here," he said, opening up one of the small jars, handing it to me, even though I would have done it myself. "Do you like purple?" he asked, preparing to open up another one which is bright blue, still resembling my mood.

However, that mood changed when I nodded my head. "Yeah. I like purple. It's my favorite color." Grabbing one of the brushes, I dipped it into the small jar, getting the 'hair' a nice coated purple color, being careful not to get any on the handle. "At least the clay would be now purple instead of blue, the color of...sadness." I began stroking my brush over my cup. "What do we do after we finish painting our clay cups?" I then asked.

"Put them in the oven."

"What? An Oven?" I stopped painting and questioned him. "We're going to put our hand-made cups into an _oven?_"

"It's not _that _kind of oven," he explained as he continued to paint his cup. "It's actually called a mansory, colloquially known as a brick oven or stone oven is an oven consisting of a baking chamber made of fireproof brick, concrete, stone, clay, or cob."

"So... we're basically going to cook our cups...?" I replied.

"Yep," he clicked. "The mansory will also brightened up our paint color on them, too," he added.

"Huh. No wonder the paint looks dull and not...bright looking," I thought out loud in a low voice.

"Make sure to paint your cup three times," he explained further. "It'll also help brightened up the colors, as well."

"That's...interesting?" I spoke, finding the right word for it. "Are you going to give you cup to somebody?"

"I'm going to give it to my mom," he simply answered. "What about you?"

"I want to give this to Hannah as an apology gift for shoving her onto the floor. I requested Stine to tell her that I'm sorry, but in case he forgets, or has forgotten, which I don't mind, I'll apologize to her for being all...snappy... Although she knew it wasn't my fault for doing that to her." I sighed, finishing up my cup after painting it three times. "Does she like the color purple?" I wondered out loud, most likely to myself. "Damn," I let out under my breath for no one else to hear. "What if she _doesn't _like purple? No. What if she _hates _my gift?"

Jackson frowned. "Why would you think she'll hate your gift?"

"...Don't know," I shrugged. "I guess it's because I never gave a present to someone in years. Before my biological parents died, I'll give them presents to show them how much I love them. Of course, being at a young age, I couldn't drive to any crafts stores, so I have to use my own crafts and art kits to make cards. I always made cards, making them better each day. In return, they'll get me gifts." I shrugged my shoulders again, tapping the brush on the table, the paint staining it. "I hadn't got any presents from my god family since they despise me," I guttered out.

"I'm guessing you wanted to be an artist...?" he assumed with a friendly smirk, taking in the fact after what I told him.

"Uh, um." I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat, nervous to muster out any word. Nevertheless, I the word went out of my mouth. "No," I frankly answered. "Even though art is great and all… I don't see myself as an artist. More like a...writer," I told him.

"Ooh," he expressed with delight. "What stories do you want to write?" He seemed to take interest.

I stammered. "I-I don't know." I began to think. "I could write a story about a character, such as myself, that can tell readers about my life," I merely thought. "Only," I exhaled, "I don't want it to be on a book..."

"Have you ever heard of Wattpad?" This question had me raise a brow.

"No..." I slowly answered. "What's that?" I inquired, placing the brush down.

"It's a website that people go onto to write their own stories about their favorite TV shows, movies, games, etc," he explained, finishing up his cup, placing his brush next to mine. "All you have to do is make an account, and in case you don't have an account, you can make one for yourself. It can be any account. But-" He raised a finger. "-you can't be under thirteen because there are rules that apply to that website. It's a popular site, too. A lot of people are on it. Not only that, you'll be lucky enough to have followers." A grin spread across his face. "Before I came here at this place, I too, have an account. I write all _kinds _of fanfics," he stated braggily, even though he didn't mean to.

"You write fanfics?" I couldn't help but questioned. "I didn't know you write stories."

"Heh... That's right, I do," he blushed bashfullily. "I'm writing about a fanfic for one of my favorite movies; horror to be precise called _It Came From Beneath The Sea_. It's an old horror movie, but I love it. You can also create your own original stories on that website, too."

Huh... That name sounds familiar... Basically, the same movie name has the same title of one of my _Goosebumps _books. The title of that book is _It Came From Beneath The Sink_. To me and in my own opinion, is that it's one of the creepiest books Stine has ever written. For those who have read the book, you'll know what the story is about. However, for those who have never read the book or don't remember about it, check it up on Google. As for me, I read every _Goosebumps _book known to man, more likely to read them over and over again just to remember every single detail.

"I'm more likely doing a rewrite of that movie." When he said that, my brows furrowed. "Oh!" he chuckled, catching my reaction. "A rewriter is someone that, well, rewrites a story based on a movie or TV show. Except, they have to make sure not to copy the _entire _story. You can also make up your own characters."

"Really?" I responded.

"Really."

I leaned back in my chair, my fingers drumming on the table top. "Do I have to pay to get on the story writing website?"

"No, it's free." Jackson leaned back in his chair, copying me. I didn't care. "It's the best site ever to go on. You can even message to people with a thing called Private Messages. It goes into their Email that's in their Inbox." Smirking his kind smirk, he rubbed the back of his neck. "You wanna know how many followers I got for my story?" I was about to guess when he answered for me. "Twenty hundred followers, including favorites."

"Twenty hundred?!" The chair almost leaned back with me catching the table just in time before I hit my head on the floor, not wanting to cause more injuries to myself. "You have..." I regain my control. "...twenty hundred _followers?!_" I reacted, feeling people look at us. I didn't care; didn't care for the matter. "When did you get that many?" I asked.

"Probably when my story got...popular..." was all he can think of. "It's my first story and I thought it would be a waste of time," he put in. "Turns out I was wrong, and almost every single day, I get a new follower. I wrote two..." He stopped in thought, placing his pointer and middle finger on his chin. "...hundred chapters for my fanfic."

"Two hundred chapters!?" I repeated in reaction. "H-How long did it took you to write that many chapters?"

"Mmmmm. I say about three years. I think I was fourteen or fifteen when I started my account," he presumed with memory. "I'm not finished with it yet, so I have to put in an Author's Note, explaining that I won't be writing my story since I have to come..." He gestured his hand, making a circular motion in the air. "...here. Luckily, readers do understand what the writer is talking about so...yeah. I'm going to try to finish it up when I get out of this place."

"Huh," I breathed out. "I want an account, too," I wished, looking at my cup, patiently waiting for it to dry. "But I can't. I don't have a computer or a laptop. I could ask Stine, and I doubt he'll get me one. I don't even have a cellphone, either!" Not wanting to get upset over a dumb technology thing, I pushed myself off the table, scrapping the chair behind me. "I'm going to do some reading..."

"Art therapy isn't over yet," Jackson proclaimed with me walking away towards the door. "Hazel, come back here."

I bit my lip, stopping at the doorway. Should I stay until art therapy is done? Nah. Even though you can stay at each session for an hour, the hour is almost up, making it the perfect time to leave. I didn't like ignoring Jackson, but I _really _want to do some reading. I want to clear my head and be left alone for awhile.

It seemed like he gave up because he didn't stop me as I walked out of the room, heading to our bedroom.

I almost ran into the nurse, stopping just in time. "Sorry..." I murmured.

"That's alright," she forgave. "I was looking for you. I saw your note, explaining that you borrowed something from my office?" she assumed.

"Yeah... I borrowed some numbing gel because my stitches keep on burning..." I hestentily explained, hoping that she won't get angry at me since I'm very sensitive. "I can...give it back to you right now..."

"It's okay, you can return it whenever you'll get to go home," she understood. "Where are you going anyway?" she asked me.

"Room," I shortly answered. "I was doing art therapy and since that session is almost over, I decided to leave..." I trailed off when a frown came over her face. "...what...?" I asked, now avoiding her gaze. "Is it bad to leave early?" I said.

"No." She shook her head. "It's just not a good idea to leave your therapy session early without the doctor knowing," the nurse explained.

Too bad, was what I wanted to say. But instead, I said, "Oh... I didn't know." Keeping my gaze away from her, I spoke again. "I can just go back..."

"No need to bother doing that. You can just go on ahead to your room. Just remember to say something first before leaving any therapy session," she advised. At least she isn't angry.

I nodded my head and walked away from her, continuing my way to the bedroom, wanting to be by myself. Not for long, considering that it's not... fun to be alone. Only I don't know what fun is...

Reaching the bedroom, I stepped in, walking up to the dresser, grabbing one of my _Goosebumps _books known as _A Night In Terror Tower_. After, I went over to my bed, laying down on it, right on top of the blanket, opening my book up, and started to read.

Soon, I ended up finishing the book before I knew it. I didn't read very fast nor skim it, I just took my time with it.

Sitting up, I really want to read _Vampire Breath_. But I can't. It's missing still. And I don't want it to be missing anymore.

Standing back up, I made a decision to look for my book, no matter how long it'll take me. I want it back, not wanting anything bad to happen to it.

Walking out of the room, I began my search. It's a good thing everyone is at their therapy sessions, that way I won't have to be bothered as I'm doing it.

But I keep wondering. Who took the book? I mean, what kind of person would steal a book from you? Jackson has a theory that Trevor took it since I told that dude that I don't want him borrowing any of my books. However, unlike me, I don't blame other people unless they did something that I don't like. Such as a stolen book.

What if something bad ever happened to it? What if the book is all tattered up? What if it got dropped in a toilet? That last thought did not make any sense, at all. Why would my book be in a toilet? That's just sick and disgusting.

While I was walking, I began to hear some talking. "I can't believe she thought that I didn't take her book," the voice said; a familiar one. "After she turned her back to me, I just grabbed one of them..." Wanting to know who it is, I followed the source of it. "Heh, heh, heh." It sounded like a male chuckling. "I'm such a good liar..." Liar? "...for telling that girl, the hazel eyed girl, that I never took her book." The voice seemed to grow stronger, and I stopped at a door that was open just a crack, so I pushed it. Luckily, it made no sound as I inched the door, opening it a bit further.

I stopped to see someone laying on a bed. The person didn't pay any attention to me.

"Trevor, you are such a genius," he praised himself with another chuckle.

"Trevor?!" I didn't mean to shout, it just came out that way. "You took my book!?"

"You wouldn't let me borrow any of them!" he argued, recovering from my outburst. "So I took it." He got out of his bed. "I can't believe you were dumb enough to think that I _didn't _steal your book," he laughed.

"Give it back!" I ordered. I ran into the room, only for him to shove me onto the floor. "Oh!" I groaned, feeling my head hit the hard surface.

Trevor stood over me. "You want it?" he began to tease me, holding the book up in the air.

Not wanting to act like a baby, I spoke. "Just give it back, Trevor. I won't tell anybody. I promise."

"Hmm." He lowered the book to his side, my eyes glued on it. "Okay, I'll give it back to ya on one condition," he stated.

"What?" I condoned, my eyes still on the book.

"Have fun with me and not with Jackson." The grin he gave off was...creepy. Almost like Slappy's grin. "We can have our...own kind of fun…"

At first I was confused, getting off the floor, standing up on my feet. The back of my head felt sore, and I knew I was going to have a headache later. "What kind of fun?" I questioned caustionedly.

He took a step forward, placing his hand on my chest. "You know. The type of fun where..." He leaned towards me, whispering something into my ear.

My eyes widen with surprise and I punched him on the chest so hard that it caused him to cry out, bringing his hand back to him. "Why the _hell _would I do that!?" I declared. "That's just... It's not right. I'm not gonna let someone, like you, force on top of me!"

"Hmph!" he huffed. "Fine," he retorted. "How you _beg _for your book back, then _maybe _I'll give it back to ya."

"I'm not going to beg!" I confided back. "Just give me the book!" I reached for it, only for him to raise it out of my reach, holding it up in the air. Damn, I never knew he was this big until now.

"Not until you beg for it." He waved the book. "Tick, tick, I don't have all day."

I sighed, backing away from him, bowing my head, feeling like a complete idiot. "Please, Trevor," I began to plead. "Give me back my book. I only have one copy of each _Goosebumps _book; all original covers," I told him.

"Well, since you said it nicely..." I heard the book being opened up again, having me pick my head up. "But since you refuse to let me borrow any of your books, I'll just destroy it." He grabbed the cover, pulling it back, and when I heard that small sound of tearing, I smacked the book out of his hands at an instinct. "Hey!" he cried in alarm, only he didn't have time to react when I tackle him to the ground, punching his face. "Get off!" he screamed. "Ow! Stop it! Get off of me!"

Ignoring him, all I could see was red, reminding what I did to Dr. Maniac. I would have kept going when I pulled off by someone.

"What is going on here!?" It was one of the security guards. "What is going on here!?" he repeated demandingly.

"He won't give me back my book that _he _stole!" I proclaimed, pointing at him. I saw that I caused some damage to his face, seeing bruises. Man... I know I can punch, but I never knew I could punch that hard. I don't think Dr. Maniac had black and blue marks on his face.

"What?" the security guard questioned. "He took a book?"

"Yes!" I declared, "but he was about to ruin it."

"Too bad, girly," Trevor snarked, gripping the book in his hand, after picking it up off the floor, the book cover having a small rip to it.

"If you rip the whole entire book, you're going to pay for it," I threatened.

"Just get a new one." Wow, great advice. "They have the new, classic book covers," he told me.

"I hate those covers; I like the original book covers!"

"Too bad!" Is that his punchline? "You don't need every, single book." He rolled his eyes. "Besides, I'm not going to give it back to you," he refused. "I changed my mind."

"You can't change your mind at the last minute," I fumed. I hope my medication kicks in once the two weeks are up because I can't keep having these mood swings all the time. Including with depression; sadness to be exact.

"Yes, I can," he argued. "Don't tell me what to do, you prick."

"Oh yeah, well your a jerk," I comebacked.

Trevor glared at me. "Really? You think I'm a jerk? You know what I think of you?" I can only stare at him, waiting for what he had to say. "To me, you're a complete _cry baby_," he insistently insulted.

"No, I'm not!" I was beginning to get fed up with this dude. "You're a jerk," I insulted, saying my comeback again.

"Cry baby."

"Jerk."

"Cry baby."

"Jerk."

"Cry baby."

"Jerk."

"Cry-"

"Okay, that's enough you two," the security guard cut in, having Trevor and I stop. "Trevor, lend her book back to her so we won't have any problems," he ordered a bit harshly.

"Ugh, fine," Trevor grumbled. "Here." He pushed the book towards me, the end of it barely stabbing the lower part of my chest. "I bet my parents are right. I shouldn't be reading these books since I'm eighteen; two years older than you."

I didn't want to argue anymore. Instead, I gave him two words. "Thank you." Then I left the room, stopped, and looked at the small tear from the book cover. "I should look for Rosy's office..." Deciding that was the best option, I went over to one of the janitors, asking where her office is at.

He told me and I followed his directions carefully. I never been to her office and I'm not sure if Jackson showed me where it was at while he gave me the tour of this buildng. The janitor asked if he could just take me there, but I simply declined his offer.

It didn't take long to find her office. It was where the entrance is at, right to my own surprise. I walked up to it, giving it three knocks.

"Come in," Rosy called from inside. I grabbed the doorknob, turned it, pushing the door open. She looked up from her papers. "Oh, it's you," she noticed right away. "In case you were wondering, no I didn't find your book yet," she informed me, thinking that's the reason why I came here.

"No, that's not what I came here." I walked up to her desk that has pens, pencils, and stacks of papers. A closed up laptop sat on the right side of the desk, feeling lonely. "I...actually found my book. Trevor had it," I told her. "And he ripped the cover up a bit. See?" I put the book on the desktop to show it to her. "He basically stole my book when I told him he can't borrow them, and he wanted me to beg for it, and I did, feeling like an idiot for doing that. At first I thought he'll give it back, and he began to tear off the book cover. I got so mad that I smacked it out of his hand before he can completely ruin the book. Right after I did that, I began punching him-"

"You were _punching _him?" Rosy questioned interrupting me. I felt annoyed when she did that. "Why did you do that?"

"I was getting mad." It wasn't a great answer to give to her, but it was the first thing that came to me. "I don't want him to rip the cover off the book."

"You can buy a new one," she said.

I couldn't help but to make a sick face of disgust. "They only have the new, classic book covers," I responded, my face scrunching up. "My biological parents gave those _Goosebumps _books when I was four before they passed away, with me living with my god family who are complete jerks towards me." That's when I question came into my head. "Have I told you about my god family?"

She tilted her head to the side a bit, thinking. "No. Do you want to give out details on why they're...jerks?"

"Nah," I declined. "I talked about my god family so many times that I don't want to talk about it anymore unless I want to. Plus, I think my real parents grew up in the nineties," I theorized. "But I'm not one hundred percent sure about that because I was really young when they gave me these types of books. When I think about it now, I believe it was _their _books when they were kids," I bet. "When they gave me the books, to me they look brand new. No crease marks or anything on them. They gave me every, single _Goosebumps _book. And it's not just the original books, they also had other _Goosebumps _series." I took a deep breath in and let it out. "I don't want _any _of them getting ruined, you know? So can you fix it up, please?"

"Well, I can use a piece a tape on it..." she replied. "But are you sure you don't want a new one?"

"I'm sure." I nodded my head, letting her know that I made up my mind. "Tape's fine," I added, just in case she wanted to use something else to fix my book.

"Alright." She grabbed a tape dispenser, ripping a small piece from it. Carefully, she tapped the small tear, putting the book cover back together. Even though it didn't get totally damaged, I don't want to accidentally rip it all the way off. I do grab the books by the cover sometimes, I have to admit. "There." Finishing up, the rip was back in place. The tape was so clear, it looks like the book wasn't even ripped at all. "Here you go," she said, handing the book back to me. "Is there anything else that you need?"

"Nope." I shook my head. "That'll be all," I returned. "Thanks." After that, I walked out of the room, stopping at the doorway, turning my head. "Do you want me to close the door for you?"

"I'll close the door," she answered with a kind smile. "See you later," she waved.

"See you later, too..." I returned again.

Walking out of the room, I made my way to the bedroom so I can put my book back. Thank god that I got my book back, getting fixed. I knew Trevor is gonna hate me, but hoping that he'll not bother me.

Once I got to the bedroom, I saw that Jackson hasn't returned from art therapy. Either that, or he went to music therapy.

Speaking of music therapy, I put my book with the others, and grabbed my violin case and along with the book that teaches you how to play it. I'm not good at reading musical notes, but Dr. Williams told me that this book will tell me what the strings are. More likely telling me what letter string they are.

Opening up the case, I took out my violin and bow. Then I opened up the book titled _How To Play Violins_. Interesting title.

I skipped on how to hold it correctly since Dr. Williams did it for me. So I went on the instruction section, reading it carefully, making sure not to miss a single word. Then I read which string letters that are on the violin. I have to admit, I must've read that part several or more times to remember it since I never played any kind of instrument.

Feeling like I remember now after reading it the twentieth time, I set the book to the side, not closing it. I set myself up and began to play one string at a time. It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't as screechy as it was before.

I kept going, doing my best to get it right. It wasn't easy but I manage to make all the notes sound right; no screeching ones at all.

"I should try to play a song..." I thought out loud, returning my hands to the book, bringing it back to me. I went through the contents, searching for how to play songs of any kind.

When I found it, I read on how to play _Mary Had A Little Lamb_. A classic. My real mom would sing me that song; the first song I ever listened. I don't listen to songs anymore. I don't have an MP3 player or an iPod. I don't even have a cellphone!

Once I memorized the notes for the song, I placed the book back down for the second time, replacing it with my bow and violin. I placed the bow on the strings, streaking across them, playing the song. I did miss a couple of notes, but it wasn't that bad. I tried again, wanting it to be just perfect.

"It's a good thing that Jackson's at his therapy sessions, making the time perfect without any inter-"

"Sup, Hazel?" Jackson walked into the door with the flute in his hands.

"-ruptions." I set my bow and violin on lap. "What do you want?" I asked, doing my best to hide my annoyed look.

"Eh, sorry," he answered. "Didn't know you were playing. Were you playing _Mary Had A Little Lamb_?" he inquired in full interest. "It was pretty good."

"It was okay..." I shrugged. "You were at music therapy?" I said.

"Uh huh." Jackson sat down on his bed, putting his flute to the side. "I thought you were going to do some reading," he mentioned confused.

"I was... But while I was heading here, I heard someone talking and not in my head this time," I explained. "I found where the voice was coming from. It was in one of those sleeping rooms. To make the story not too long, Trevor stole my book." I twirled my hair around my finger. "Turns out you were right," I stated. "I had to get it fixed by Rosy because that dude ripped the book cover. It wasn't a large tear, just a little one. I was told that I can just get a new one, except I don't like the new book covers known as classic covers. So I don't need to ask Rosy if she found it since once we come back from date that we're doing after our therapy sessions. Do you have your own _Goosebumps _books?" I asked.

"Certainly," he replied. "I get all of my books off line. I like to get all the books all at once for each _Goosebumps _series. But I have to admit, my mom helped me get all of them, including my other family members. Except my dad couldn't do it since he's over at the military. I do want to visit him, but he's pretty far from the United States. I hadn't seen him since I was a small lad."

"Do you like the classic _Goosebumps _book covers?" I put into the conservation.

"They're okay to be honest," he answered his own opinion. "However, the original book covers are _a lot _better than the ones today. The other ones I'm fine with, like the _Goosebumps Most Wanted _books. Do you know did the artwork for the original sixty-two book covers? I forgot his name."

"Also the two thousand series," I added. "The artist is Tim Jacobus," I answered. "He also did one the _Give Yourself Goosebumps _books, and that is _The Carnival Of Horrors._ He also did the covers for the _Tales To Give You Goosebumps _and the _Goosebumps __Triple Header_ books. But the two original _Goosebumps _books such as _Be Careful What You Wish For... _and _Stay Out Of The Basement _are from a different artist known as Jim Thiesen. Tim _did _those book covers, too, but they weren't released until the early two thousands."

"He's pretty awesome for making awesome book covers," he commented, nodding his head. "Even though they didn't choose Tim's own book covers for_ Be Careful What You Wish For... _and _Stay Out Of The Basement _until later. He doesn't do _Goosebumps _book covers anymore and he's been replaced by Brandon Dorman who's now the new _Goosebumps _book cover artist."

I nodded my head. "I definitely agree with you there, and the new artist is...pretty good at making the covers with the new _Goosebumps _book series. By the way, how are you part Cherokee?" He blinked in confusion. "I'm just wondering," I quickly added so I won't make a fool of myself. "It's just that...you don't look...native American…"

"No, I don't look like one. It's in my blood. My great-great-great-great-great grandmother is full native American," he told me. "She used to tell stories to people at summer camps, telling them not to go out in the woods during the night," he spoke.

"Why?" I questioned.

"Monsters."

"Monsters?"

"Monsters like skin walkers, bigfoots, jersey devils, black dogs, hellhounds, and many more," he listed. "After those years went on, my mom and dad will tell me those stories when I was really little and, to be honest, it kept me from sneaking out at night."

"But..." I spoke. "They're just stories. They're not real," I told him.

He gave me a serious look. "They are true stories, Hazel," he replied. "It's okay for not believing me; it's a native American thing. Do you know any of _your _family's history?"

"No, not at all..." I hung my head. "I don't know anything about my real parents' family history on both sides."

"That's okay." He seemed like he didn't mind about me not knowing my family's history. "Besides, not everybody knows about their own family histories, either." He scooted back, leaning against the wall.

"That is true..." I agreed nothingless. "When will our hand-made cups be done?" I asked, getting up from the bed, getting ready to go to music therapy.

"They'll be ready soon," he told me. "You better get to music therapy before you're late," he advised.

"Yeah..." I grabbed my violin and bow, placing them back inside the case. I grabbed the handle of case, picking it off the floor. "You can read one of my books if you want to," I gestured my free hand to the dresser. "I know that you won't ruin them."

"Alright, thanks." He got up from the bed, going over to my books. "I'll read…" He spread the books across the dresser top. "...this one," he chose, showing it to me. "This is one of my favorites."

I looked at the title. "_Beast From The East_," I read. "It's more of an okay book for me," I gave my opinion. "But since it's your favorite, go ahead," I encouraged him.

"Awesome." Going over to his cot, he got on it, and plopped on the mattress with ease on his back, his head landing directly on the pillow. He opened his book. "Awesome."

"Is that your favorite word? Awesome?" I asked.

Jackson shrugged. "Everyone has their favorite type of word."

"Yeah... I guess you're right..." I rubbed the back of my head. "See ya later."

"See ya," he returned, his eyes glued to the book.

I walked out of the room before my face turns red with blushness, heading to see Dr. Williams, not wanting to be late for music therapy.

And after therapy, me and Jackson will go out on a...date. A dinner date.

Can't wait to see what a date is like. It sounds...interesting.

* * *

"You know how to play _Mary Had A Little Lamb?_" Dr. Williams asked. I arrived five minutes ago, telling him that I learned how to play a song on the violin. He was quite surprised. "Why don't you play it for me," he said with an encouraging smile.

"...Sure." I picked up my violin, placing my bow on the strings. I pulled the bow across from them, playing that classic song. It was going great until I miss a note. Then another, then another. "Grrr...!" The frustration began to build up inside me. "I don't understand," I complained, setting the violin and bow on my lap, covering my eyes. "I had it right before!" I muttered in complete outrage.

"Hazel." I didn't answer, just kept my head down, my hand over my eyes. I didn't want him to see me cry. "Look at me, Hazel," he ordered, his voice calm and relaxed, just like yesterday. Slowly, I picked my head up, feeling a tear ran down the side of my. I wiped it away. "What have I told you about playing this instrument?" he questioned me.

I didn't answer right away. I knew the answer, but I want to speak it clearly. My voice breaks when I cry, and I can't control it when it happens. "That it doesn't need to be perfect," I mumbled.

"That's right. Now why don't you try again and this time don't get discouraged when missing a note. String instruments are hard to play, making the music sound nice." He smiled. "Believe me, when I was your age, perhaps younger, I used to play the cello. Yes, I got frustrated, but I practiced every day. I wasn't perfect right away, and I do miss some notes when playing with that thing," he told me.

I quirked a brow. "Really?" I responded.

He nodded his head. "Really. Play it again, but take your time."

"S-Sure." I got myself set up and played the song again, being very careful not to make the wrong sound or anything. When I was finished, I looked at him. "Well?" I spoke.

"Nice; good job," he praised.

"...Thanks." I didn't know what else to say. "So... You used to play the cello when you were younger?" I presumed. "That's... interesting. How old were you?" I asked.

"I say about…" He thought for a second. "...fifteen or fourteen years old," he grinned. "Want to play the song together." Just like yesterday, he picked up his own violin and bow, setting himself up. "Or do you want to just pull the bow across the strings with no song?" he said, giving me two choices.

"Play the song. I rather not hear all the screeching sounds unless I'm really upset or angry about something," I replied.

So that's what we did. Playing the song over and over until it was time for me to go. I put my violin and bow back in it's case. "I'll see you tomorrow," I said, standing up from the chair.

"You too," he smiled in return.

After our farewell, I walked out of the room, heading to the bedroom, feeling very...satisfied...about the song I played. Just played, and I only learned how to play it today; only today. Wow... just... wow. I never expected to be good at playing an instrument. Well, it's not like everyday you're good at something right away. It takes lots of practice to get something right.

Maybe I found my hidden talent? That I'm not sure. A lot of people would be surprised when they discover their gifts at any age. Like, for example, cooking. A kid, a boy or a girl, would put random ingredients together. Then they'll discover that they can cook.

Can I cook? Nope. When I lived by myself, getting money for doing chores at other peoples homes, I'll go to the store grabbing non-cookable things such as fruits, veggies, bread, ice cream, types of chips, milk, cereal, yogurt, pudding, applesauce, jello, stuff to make sandwiches, and other forms of snacks. That's the food I can only rely on. I never had a home cooked meal in a long time until later.

Not only that, I'm still wondering if a date would make me feel...like this.

Better wait and see for myself, I guess.

Upon arriving, I entered the room, in time to see Jackson waiting for me. I went over to my cot, putting the violin case on the floor against the wall. "How was the book?" I spoke.

"Good," Jackson said. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"For our date?" I knew that we were; I just wanted to make sure.

"Mhm. I asked Rosy twenty minutes ago, and she said yes and to make sure we come back at eight o'clock."

"Okay, but I have to put something nice on." I went over to the dresser, about to pull one of the draws when I felt his hand on my shoulder, having me turn my head towards him.

"It's not a fancy restaurant," he told me. "Just a normal one. We'll have to drive there, too. I know I said it isn't too far from here, but that doesn't mean it's close by to walk there."

Oh yeah, I completely forgot that he drove himself here to this mental hospital for the second time that day. Stupid memory. I forget things from time to time. "Okay." I turned myself around, away from the dresser. "Let's get going." After that, I followed him to his car.

This is gonna be interesting.


	25. Chapter 25: A Talk With Slappy

**Chapter 25: A Talk With Slappy**

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

"Alright class, you did a great job on your three paged stories from the other day," I praised, handing them back their homework. "You're writing skills are great," I continued my praise, stopping at one of the desks that is being occupied by a boy that is next Zach. "Well, almost all of you." I handed his homework back to him. "You used the wrong 'there' multiple times, Adam," I told him. A few of my students snickered. "With people it's t-h-e-i-r, and one that is 'they're' short for 'they are.' Look it up in the dictionary," I advised him.

"Yes, sir," the kid answered, his face turning red, looking very shamed and, at the same time, embarrassed. "They just sound the same... Like the word 'one'."

"You're lucky that you got a B," I replied to his accuse. Normally I don't like accuses, but the kid's right. The word 'there' sound the same when either using 'their' or 'they're', along with other words that would sound the same but spelled differently, like the word 'one.' Sometimes it has to be 'won', which is the past tense of winning. "Here you go, Zach." I gave him his homework back. "You did a wonderful job," I said. "I was expecting that you'll lack off of your English homework since you're dating my daughter..." I saw his pink circles form on his cheeks, knowing who I'm talking about. "Turns out I was wrong," I smiled.

After I finished handing everybody's homework, I went back to the front of the room. "Okay, class," I began. "Let's talk about the homework you did last night of _The Hobbit_ that you had to read from chapters one through ten. For those who didn't get up to chapter ten, you'll have to keep reading that chapter." Several of my students sighed with relief; two girls at the right side of the classroom, the other a boy that is in the second row to the left. "We'll be learning about _The Hobbit_ all week, then we'll move on to the next book." I clapped my hands together. "Now who would like to talk about the first chapter?" I asked.

One of my students raised her hand and I let her speak. "You have a daughter?" she said.

"Yes, I have a daughter, Sophie," I expererated, not the words I was looking for. "But we're talking about _The Hobbit_. Not about Hannah. I'm pretty sure you seen her walking down the hallways. Now let's get back to _The Hobbit_ before our minds swim away from it."

"Can you tell us about your daughter?" a boy in the last row responded. "Does she have a mom?" he asked.

I sighed. "No, she does not have a mom...nor a dad..." Confused faces filled the room except from Zach and Champ since they know she really is. "She was at a foster care for a while so I...adopted her." No way was I was to tell the class that she was a ghost at the very beginning. I know that they know about my _Goosebumps _monsters, but I don't want anybody else to walk up to her, asking if she's still a ghost since I had to write her back to where she's not a ghost anymore. Good thing that Zach picked up what I was saying. "Alright, enough with my daughter," I broke the silence. "Who would like to talk about the first chapter?"

"I will!" a red-haired girl volunteered, raising her hand.

"Good, now we're getting back on track," I smiled. "Go ahead, Maygen."

She began talking about the first chapter of the book. I was proud that she remembered every detail of the book, even when she took notes, which I didn't tell them to do when they had to do their homework last night. But I didn't mind. Not one bit of it.

Once she finished telling us about the first chapter, I told her to pick another student to talk about the next chapter.

"Jake," she chose. Jake dropped his pencil that was in his hand, the other covering up a small piece of paper.

Jake was about to tell us about the second chapter when I interrupted.

"Jake, what do you have there on your desk?"

"Nothing!" he quickly answered. "I have nothing, Mr. Stine." I gave him a suspicious look, walking over to him. "Uh, you don't need to see what I have, sir. I'll throw it away in the-" Right before he can get the last words out, I snatched the paper out from underneath his hand. "-trash can," he manage to let out with defeat.

The piece of paper was folded in half. Unfolding it, I saw that there is some writing on it. "_Maygen, how did you get your hair to smell so nice?" _I read out loud. Bursts of laughter filled the room, having Jake's face being filled up with red. "Are you passing notes, young man?" I questioned by the time the laughter died down.

"No!" he proclaimed, his face still on that red color, refusing to go away. "I was going to give it to her _after _class," he swore.

"That's still passing notes," I replied, crumbling up the piece of paper in my right hand. "The next time I see something like that, you'll get a week of detention," I warned. "Is that clear?"

Jake lowered his head. "...Yes, sir."

"Now, tell us about chapter two," I said. I then saw a guilty look on his face. "Jake... did you do your homework last night?"

"Well, I-I did but..." A sigh escaped from his lips. "No," he confessed to me. "I was...busy doing stuff..." he mumbled with me barely able to hear him.

"You were busy?" He nodded after I repeated his words. "What were you busy with?" I asked, crossing my arms in disbelief.

"Stuff," he repeated.

"What stuff?" I asked further. Don't give me a lame accuse, kid, I thought, wishing for it not happen.

"...YouTube..." He hung his head with shame. "You see, I have this channel and it's really popular. My followers asks me for more videos and I do them..."

"YouTube?" I let out a heavy sigh. "Kid, YouTube is nothing," I explained, rubbing my temples.

"It's not nothing!" Uh oh. He's picking up an argument with me. This happened before when I gave out my class their first homework assignment on my second day of teaching English at this school. "Go to my channel and check it out!" he simply demanded.

"Jake, I don't want to argue with you..."

But he wouldn't listen. "Go to my channel!" he yelled, getting more demanding. "Just go and- Hey!" I grabbed him by the shirt as he let out a cry of alarm. I hauled him over to the door, swinging it open. Then I shoved him out of the classroom.

"I'll let Principal Harrison know that you'll be there," I spoke in a harsh tone. He opened his mouth to protest, except I stopped his before he can. "Go to the office!" I ordered strictly.

"Fine," he gave up. "I'll go." Grumbling him to himself, he made his way down to the principal's office. It wasn't the first time he was down there, too. He's been seeing my boss three or four times every week for not doing his homework and trying to pick up fights with. But I wasn't going to have it.

I went back up to the front of the classroom. "Zach, can you please tell us about chapter two?" I requested.

"Yes, sir," he grinned. He talked about the second chapter. Once he finished, he picked one of his classmates, and one by one, they talked about the chapters, except the ones who didn't get to chapter ten.

By the time we're finished with that, I began teaching them about semicolons. I barely use semicolons. Actually, I never _used _semicolons, but I know where to put them. I picked up a marker, writing an example on the white board. The marker squealed, getting on my nerves a little.

I wish we had a smart board. Setting the marker down, I turned back to my class. "Here's an example for semicolons," I continued to teach, directing to the sentence. "They're a little difficult to where to put them in sentences. A semicolon is a punctuation mark indicating a pause, typically between two main clauses, that is more pronounced than that indicated comma. I know, I know, it can be confusing and hard at first; you'll get the hang of it." My eyes surveyed the room. "Sophie, would like to read the sentence that I put on here?" I pointed to her and directly at the white board.

"Sure." Clearing her throat, she read the sentence. "_I went to the basketball court; I was told it was closed for cleaning." _

"Nice," I gave out a praised smile. I then wrote another sentence, only this time, I didn't put down a semicolon. "Would any of you like to put down the semicolon?" I asked.

"How about me?" a blonde-haired boy answered. "I've been practicing my grammar and spelling back when I was in grade one," he told me.

"Really?" I was impressed. "Why don't you come and show us?" I presented the sentence to him.

He didn't hesitated as he walked up the front of the classroom, grabbing a different colored marker, a green one, unlike me who used a blue maker. He took the cap off, the sound making a very satisfying _pop_ sound. He placed the tip on the board where the semicolon should be, doing just that.

He turned to me with a brilliant smile. "Well?" he said. "Did I get it right or what?" The proud smile of his didn't wash away from his face.

I checked it. "You got it right," I smiled back. "Go sit down now, please," I ordered him politely.

He walked back to his desk and sat down, leaning against his chair, like he was trying to be cool or something. However, I'm not going to let that bother me.

The one thing that's bothering me is Slappy, wondering why he released the monsters months ago, along with doing that five years ago back in two thousand and ten. I wanted to know, to ask him, if he was doing that to get my attention, like a small child would do. He may not be a child, but I do see him as my son.

During those years and those last several months, I felt really, really guilty for what I did to him. Lock him in a book, turning my back to him. He was right about blaming me for everything; for trapping him inside leather and paper.

When me and my daughter moved from Columbus, Ohio to Chicago a few days ago, I was unpacking my books, when I dropped one by mistake. Do you know which one that is? That's right. _Night Of The Living Dummy_. I hadn't realized that the lock broke at that time of day until I found out after a few years later that we needed to move again to keep our secret before other people found out about us. Especially me.

That was the day when I discovered something. While we were moving the night before, I saw the wrecked moving truck on one of the streets. The one that the men used that I hired to help me move out of my house. I was actually wondering where my stuff was at. The thing that I discovered is that one of my boxes was empty. The one that held all of my manuscripts.

Come to think of it, I was wondering if Slappy drove the moving truck. I bet those guys would never crash into anything.

Throughout that day, all afternoon until evening, me and Hannah had to find all the books, finding them in the woods, putting them in the car, and one by one, we had to capture each monster that belonged in that book. It took up most of the evening, but once I trapped the final ghoul; Slappy, with the help of some young girl at the Grand Centra Galleria in the library, it was time for me and my daughter to get to Madison by Friday. It actually took a whole week to get to our new home.

By the time we arrived to our new house, I had to wake Hannah up because I didn't want her to help me trap the monsters of how overprotective I was with her. So whenever I see a monster, I'll tell her what book I need, and she'll hand one over to me.

After I trapped Slappy back in his book and since the lock was broken, I had no choice but to place the book between my seat of the car and consol. And when I unpacked my manuscripts, I made sure that his book was tucked tightly with the other books so it wouldn't open.

At that year, the year that me and my daughter moved into our new house, I couldn't help but to glance at all of my books that are on the shelves that had been in my study room, wondering what he was thinking about.

Revenge.

That's what he wanted. Revenge.

To be honest, he was my best friend ever since I created him. After I found out that my wife, way before I met Lorraine, cheated on me back in Ohio, I was so angry, so upset, so...disgusted at what I had witnessed. Especially when she confessed to me through tearful glare in her eyes, saying that she only _pretended_ to like me.

At that point, I had to kick her out of my house, demanding her to leave to her live with her new boyfriend, getting into a quick divorce.

That's the time where I started writing my _Goosebumps _series to all the people who made fun of me, selling them to my bullies. At first they scoffed at my books, thinking that they couldn't be that scary.

Well, they were wrong. Ever since I sold my books; four hundred million copies worldwide, they never made fun of me ever again. But those books didn't have the monsters pop out of them, unlike my special manuscripts that were written on my special Smiths Corona.

However, my bullies still try to make fun of me. So I had the courage to release my monsters.

Big mistake. Right after I did that, they would scare away my bullies at first, but then they'll go out and hurt them. Even the children! I had no choice but to trap the monsters back into their manuscripts that they belong in.

Through those times, I wrote Slappy into the world, had him out of his book for a long time from my early adulthood until the year where I had to trap him back in his book for what he had done to my bullies; his scares getting way to far...his pranks not funny anymore...and... getting out of control...

I shook my head, forcing that memory out of my head. He's released again from you, Stine. He's weak right now. Go back to teaching. You can ask him why he released the monsters after work.

So that's what I did, and I have to say, teaching does help keep my mind off of Slappy. Except when me and Hannah had to go home. I don't want Hannah to deal with Slappy since she doesn't trust him nor her friends and boyfriend.

But what about Hazel? How would she react when I tell her the news?

I can't forget about Lorriane, either. She doesn't know that I let Slappy out, too.

I'll tell Lorraine first whenever she comes over for a visit, I noted to myself.

When the bell rang, everybody got up from their desks, walked out the door, heading to their buses or cars, right after I told them to read chapters ten through twenty for homework when they get home. They don't have study hall today because we have a teachers' meeting. I told Hannah to wait for me at the library when the meeting is over ahead of time since I got the call from Ms. Cooper, wanting to talk about how we can set up for _The Spring Dance_.

I can't believe my daughter asked me if Zach could be her date. I mean, they are boyfriend and girlfriend, so why would I say no? I told them to be on their best behavior though for that dance that's coming up in three months. May to be exact.

Since Ms. Cooper is in charge of the meeting, Zach also has to go to the library to stay with my daughter.

Let's hope I don't catch them doing PDA. Schools; high schools, have a strict rule when it comes to that sort of term. Students know that they can't do that kind of thing in school. But for Hannah and Zach, I know they wouldn't do that. They're good kids. Except when Zach unlocked one of my books before Slappy burned it, like he did with my other books.

Grabbing my briefcase, I headed out the door, making my way to the teachers' meeting that is taking place in the teachers' lounge.

* * *

**Hannah**

* * *

Since I have never been to a real school for a few years of dad homeschooling me, teaching me about his monsters that he created before me created me, I wasn't completely used to having homework.

When I first started school the day after my dad brought me back to existence to where I wouldn't be a ghost anymore, my dad decided that since he's the new English teacher after the school was fixed from the monster invasion, he believed it was a good idea for me to start real school.

I was happy to hear those words from him. I always wanted to go to a real school, make friends, and be a normal person this time, including my dad. Ever since we kept moving from one town to another, he never gave me freedom, never let me have any friends, always keeping me in the house, being overprotective, which I hated.

Back in Chicago, a few weeks after we moved into our new house, I remember the day when I heard a knock on the door. Right before dad had a chance to answer it, I did it first.

The person was a male about my age, telling me that he saw me and my dad moved in that house that is two houses down from his own home.

The boy was pretty nice, and I thought I made a new friend from the nice conservation to the point where I was about to step out of my house.

At that point, dad had came over, grabbing me by the shoulders, pulling me behind him. I was a little startled to be honest. I mean, I was just going to step out of the house and that's all.

Only dad wasn't too friendly to this new person I met, saying that he should leave.

The kid asked him if it's alright for me to hang out with him. I was hoping dad would say yes, but my hopes fell away when he said that one word.

No. He said no to this resident, telling him to scram. Or in other words, to get lost. He also threatened that he'll call the cops on this young lad.

The person who _was _going to be my friend told dad that he only lived two houses down from ours.

However, dad didn't budge, doing something to make the person leave our yard. I didn't know what he did, but it sure made that kid be afraid of him.

You know how I felt after whatever my dad did to make that kid leave our yard? If your answer is mad, you are correct. I wasn't happy. Wasn't happy at all. I asked him why I couldn't make friends every time we moved into a new home into a new state.

"I don't want you to make friends because then people would find out my secret," is all dad would answer with.

It did not make me feel any better. In fact, it made it worse. There are times when dad would go out to do errands, I would ask if I can tag along with him.

Of course his answer was this: "You may not come with me, Hannah." After he'll say that, he'll leave the house, closing the door, locking it in the process so I wouldn't go outside. He did the same thing to our back door, too.

It may sound like child abuse, but it wasn't. He was just overprotective. I mean, I love my dad, but I don't love it when he's overprotective of me.

There are times when there'll be a knock on our door, dad would make me go upstairs to my room.

I didn't like that. Not one bit. But I had to, doing it anyway to avoid us having arguments.

Years went on, with us moving from one town to the next. I understand why dad would want us to do that. To keep his secret safe, including me because that was the time where I wasn't..._real_. I guess he didn't want any strangers to know that I was a ghost before I was actually real when dad wrote me back so me and Zach can be reunited.

I was also happy when dad burned my new book, throwing it in the medal garbage can.

When Hazel saw me walk out of the door with Zach, she had this confused look on her face. I would be confused if I were in her shoes.

But when she started leaving, I asked her if she was glad to see me again, thinking that she wasn't.

Turns out I was wrong. She said that it's not from me. And even though she never mentioned Zach, it's not from him, either.

I was going to say something else, except I can only bring out one word before she walked away from us, leaving us behind with confusion in our eyes.

Now thinking about it, it's all that damn dummy's fault for telling her such lies. Including the Invisible Boy.

I wish dad hadn't released that dumb dummy before I never even knew. And what's worse, Hazel is terrified of Slappy. I bet she's gonna scream bloody hell when she sees him whenever she can return home to us.

Dad kept telling me he would deal with him, making sure he'll apologies to her, which isn't going to be easy since he's an evil doll.

Evil things never change... They never change. When dad first wrote me, I was not like the other monsters. I wasn't evil nor cruel to the world. I was written to be sweet and nice spirit, unlike those Sadler spirits that I accidentally released from their _Ghost Beach _manuscript just after my dad created me, curious as to why the manuscripts are locked.

When I unlocked the book, it flew out of my hands, and I let out that scream of terror when the wind knocked me to the lamp, having it fall on the floor, breaking it.

I was glad that dad sucked them back into their book. He was disappointed in me for awhile, but I learned my lesson to never do that ever again.

Sitting down at the library table, I closed up my math book, pushing it to the side, setting my pencil and homework on top of it. Then I crossed my arms onto the tabletop, placing my forehead on top of them, closing my eyes. I needed to clear my mind.

"You okay?" I let out a startled cry, jerking my head up, my hair getting in my face. "You okay?" When I pushed the hair out of my vision, I saw my boyfriend looking down at me, the one strap of his backpack hanging at his right shoulder.

I smiled. "Yeah... I'm fine, Zach," I answered. Whenever I looked at him, I couldn't take my eyes off of him of how handsome and cute he is. Even when we both saw each other for the first time, we knew that we had a connection before we became official. "Sit down," I invited, patting my hand on the chair that is next to me. "Dad's at a teachers' meeting and Ms. Cooper is in charge of it."

"I know," Zach replied, pulling the chair. He set his backpack, unzipping, pulling out _The Hobbit_ book. "Stine says we're going to be talking about this book all week," he told me, flipping the book to chapter ten. "It's a very boring book," he admitted. He chuckled. "But I have to read it or else I'm gonna flunk."

"You want me to sit somewhere else?" I asked. I didn't want him to lose his concentration on his homework.

"No, you're fine," he said. "You better do your homework, too," he grinned.

"Alright, scaredy-cat," I smirked jokingly.

"I'm not a scaredy-cat," he playfully complained. "Why do you keep calling me that anyway?"

I shrugged. "It's because you jumped ten feet high when I startled you. Why else would I call a scaredy-cat? Hm?"

He chuckled again. "I don't know. Guess I wanted to be called something else."

"Hmm..." I thought, tilting to the side. "How about... chicken?" I suggested.

"Shut up!" he exclaimed.

"Shh!" the librarian hissed, bringing our attention towards her. "Keep your voice down," she scolded, her eyes off her desktop computer, the screen glowing.

"Sorry," Zach apologized in a softer voice. He turned to me. "Shut up," he repeated in a playful manner. "I am not a chicken."

"I guess now I'm gonna keep calling scaredy-cat Zach," I smiled.

"That doesn't make sense," he remarked.

The smile grew bigger on my face. "To me it does." I went to kiss him, only to stop myself. In school we can't do PDA. And for those who don't know what that term means, it means Public Displays of Affection.

I have to wait until we get home. "Did Champ leave?" I wondered, going over to a different topic.

"Yeah." Zach now has his eyes down at the book in front of him. "Taylor's mom is giving him a ride home. He told me he called his parents to pick him up, and they refused to."

"That's so mean!" I declared. I clapped my hand over my mouth, realizing I spoke to loud. I saw the librarian looking at us. "Sorry," I said. "That's so mean," I pointed out towards Zach. "What kind of parents refuse to pick up their own children?"

"Apparently they do," he sighed, flipping the page. "I asked him if he goes on a bus, and he said no because he's afraid of buses, like everything else in this world. He keeps telling me that he'll hear his parents; eavesdropping on them, recalling that they're still thinking about kicking him out."

"Why would his parents think that?" I questioned, keeping my voice at a low volume.

"From what Champ told me and Stine at Horrorland, they wanted to kick him out for being such a coward."

"What if he _did _get kicked out?"

Shrugging his shoulders. "...I don't know..." he responded. "I would like to help him. He's my best friend. But... I don't know how to help him in that kind of situation."

I nodded, agreeing with him. "Hazel has to start real school." I wasn't planning on saying it, but it just came out that way. Zach's attention was from the book towards me now, his brows knitting together. "Dad told me that he asked Principal Harrison if it's alright for her to do school online. Only the principal wanted her to start real school since she needs to...develop her social skills since she dropped out of school back in kindergarten," I explained. "The principal is getting school stuff for her and signing her up in classes, one of them being my dad's class, which would be her last classroom that you go to."

"Won't she get mad?" he said after hearing what I told him.

I clicked my tongue. "Probably. She does get angry quite easily." I opened up my math book again. "Just like my dad," I added, remembering our argument several months ago to the point where he lost control where he _almost _sucked me back into my manuscript.

I wonder if dad still has it... That, or that wooden demon burned it. Either way, I never wanted to see that book, my book, at all. I don't want to be in that book with the Shadow Figure, even though he wasn't mentioned a whole lot in the book.

I do miss Danny Anderson from time to time. He was a great friend, and only friend during that time. In the book, I'll see him hanging out with two spoiled boys. Alan Miller and Fred Drakes. They always get into trouble. It's not a good idea to hang out with trouble makers. Not at all.

In that book, I thought Danny was a ghost, but later on, I found out the truth. About me.

How did I know the truth? It turns out that I died in a fire from my backyard campfire that me and my younger brothers made.

Was I surprised when I found that _I _was the ghost? _The Ghost Next Door? _No, I wasn't.

When I was released from my manuscript, I didn't know that would happen. Ever. And when I saw my creator for the first time, I was...hesitant to go near him. Hell, when he was talking to me in that gentle manner, walking towards me, and I took a step away from him, I didn't answer right away until I did, saying the word 'dad'. I don't know why I did it, but I did.

I even remember when dad was going to grab my book, only for me to grab it first. I didn't want to be in that book because of that evil Shadow Figure.

Good thing that my dad never did that, even adopting me.

Now since I'm not a ghost anymore, I won't have so many sweet sixteen birthdays like I had before. I can age now with my friends.

Even though homework is tough, I'm happy that I can go to actual school. And when _The Spring Dance _arrives, it'll be my first one considering that when I saw the dance during that one fall season to warn everyone about the monsters, I was...thrilled. Really thrilled!

"What are you going to wear for _The Spring Dance?_" I asked Zach.

"Hm?" he responded, cutting his eyes away from the book. "Oh. I'll just wear a simple tux," he answered with a crooked smile. "What about you?"

I breathed out of my mouth. "Well… since I have _never _been to a school dance in my entire life, I'll just wear a simple dress; nothing frilly or frou-frou-y."

"What about Hazel since she's going to start school here?" he replied.

I shrugged. "She can pick any dress she wants. I'm not going to choose for her. Besides, when May gets here, it'll be her _first _dance."

He nodded. "You think she'll be okay for going to an actual school?"

I tapped my pencil tip on the tabletop. "...I hope so. Besides, she'll have classes with us, that way she won't have to worry about anybody else. My dad said that she needs to work up on her social skills, considering that she doesn't talk to anyone else but us. However, we can't force her to talk to a person that she doesn't know."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Some people will make shy people talk to someone that they don't know."

"Everybody has their own personal space..." I sighed, scribbling on my math homework, getting the answers down on paper, finally. My mind is still on that devil doll, but at least I can finally concentrate, even though me and Zach are chatting softly together to avoid anymore 'shh' from the librarian.

"What was the first place you lived?" I spoke.

"Um..." I turned my head away from my homework to see him in thought. "Me and my mom used to live in New York," he told me.

"From all the noise?" I said.

"And to move because of my dad's death," he added. He closed his book. "I'll get do chapter twenty on this boring book once we get home," he decided, shoving it in his backpack, zipping it shut afterwards, taking out his cell phone.

"Put your phone away!" a harsh whisper spoke, coming from the librarian.

Zach, not wanting to get in trouble, put his cell phone back in his pocket. "Sheesh, she's strict," he commented, his voice low. "I just want to go onto my Facebook page..."

"Facebook?" I gave him questioning eyes. "What's 'Facebook'?"

"You never heard of it?" he returned, his face half filled with shock.

"Zach, since my last cell phone broke and that dad got me a new one, I'm not used to having technology," I answered. "So far, all I know is how to text and call. I never used any other...thing on those devices."

"I can show you after school," he offered.

I did a small smile. "Thanks," I appreciated. "You know, I'm gonna ask dad to see if he can get a cell phone for Hazel," I thought out loud, like my boyfriend wouldn't care anyway. "I have never seen her having a phone," I recalled. "Did you?"

"Not that I can remember…" he recalled as well. "She did try getting my wifi connection since my cell phone wouldn't work during that monster invasion all thanks to that wooden dummy with data, and I have no idea how she knew about that. She tried, but my cell phone wouldn't work anyway. When we stopped the monsters, it started working again because the people who work on the cell tower got it replaced and fixed within a few days later, and that's when you were still in that book that I had to finish."

"Yep." I closed up my math book, putting my homework between the pages of it, that way I won't lose it. I picked up my backpack, placing my math book inside it, then zipped it shut. "You want a ride home?" I asked.

"Nah. My mom is going to drive me home like she always does," he said. "Thanks for the offer, though," he added.

"Does she do that door locking thing on you?"

He chuckled. "Sometimes." He then frowned. "Stine should put Slappy back in the book," he stated seriously. "He's even more creepy with those marks on him."

"His monster friends attacked him," I explained. "They think it's _his _fault for not killing my dad, and not getting rid of me when I was trapped in the new manuscript."

"He's still a creep," Zach muttered under his breath. "I swear if that doll gets his hands on you, I'm gonna turn him into firewood."

"Don't worry. Dad would keep an eye on him," I assured him, secretly wrapping my fingers around his hand under the table. His face bloomed, giving out a warm smile, with me returning the same manner.

We sat there, waiting for my dad and Ms. Cooper to come get us.

* * *

It took dad and Ms. Cooper longer than expected. When I checked my phone when they got us, it was six o'clock and since it's March and since that's a winter month, it gets dark at that hour.

I gave Zach a kiss with him returning it to me, along with a goodbye hug. "I'll see you tomorrow," I spoke to him.

"Same goes for you," he said. We pulled away, heading in different directions, me going over to my dad's car who is waiting for me, and Zach going over to Ms. Cooper's car.

When I reached my dad's car, he was smirking at me. "What?" I asked confused. The only answer I got was a chuckle. "Thanks," I responded after he finished, saying it a bit sarcastically. I went over to the passenger seat, opening the door, and got in the car, placing my backpack on the floor in front of me before I buckled myself in.

Dad got in the car after I did. He bucked up, then put one of the keys, which is the key to his car, and started it up.

Once the car started up, we got off the parking lot, heading to our house.

"I need to finish my homework when we get home," I told him. "It's math, and I'm guessing math isn't my thing," I believed, brushing my hair behind my ears. I didn't put it up this morning, so I decided to let it loose for today.

"What type of math are you doing?" he responded, stopping at a red light.

I breathed out of my nose. "Fractions."

"Ah. Not easy, isn't it?" he responded again.

"Nope," I popped the word. "It also doesn't help because I keep thinking about that stupid dummy that you decided to let free from the new manuscript," I frowned.

"Hannah..." Dad sighed. "I just want to reform him."

"Reformed?" I scoffed in disbelief. "I don't buy it. Evil things _never _change. Besides, he will stab us in the back-"

"Hannah, I'm telling you; I can change his image," he insisted. "Don't keep saying that he won't."

"What if he doesn't change his image, dad? What will you do then?" I wondered.

Dad went into a deep thought, his brows knitting together as he made a turn on the road. "...I'm not sure," he whispered.

It was all he can give me. For now. I kept my eyes out the window, looking at the night sky, filled with little dots of stars, waiting to get to our house so I can finish my homework and to stay away from the evil dummy that's in our home.

* * *

Arriving at our house, we pulled up onto the driveway. Dad parked the car and got out as I did the same, grabbing my backpack in the process. I looked to see Ms. Cooper's car, indicating that they got home before we did. Unless they went on a different route then we did.

Shutting the car door, I followed dad towards our house. Dad grabbed the door, pushing it open. He walked in with me right behind him. He set his briefcase down after I shut the door and called out that devil doll. "Slappy, we're home," he hollered.

"I don't care!" came a rude shout from upstairs. I rolled my eyes after he said that. "Is your _favorite _with you?" he snarked, the rudeness not going away.

Better speak up before he starts getting more angry. "Yes," I answered for dad. "But you _better _not come into my room because I need to finish up my homework. I also _don't _want you to _ever _be in my sight," I warned. I felt dad place a hand on my shoulder, having me look at him. He gave me a stern look. "Okay, fine. But you better _knock _on my bedroom door," I yelled up the staircase.

"Whatever!" his voice cried back from one of the rooms, presumably the guest rooms. "Why would I want to go in a bedroom that has girly stuff in it?"

"My room is not-" I started to argue, but dad stopped me before I can finish my words.

"Do your homework and I'll deal with him." At first I gave him a disbelief like I did before. "I can deal with him," Dad repeated.

I can see that he didn't want to yell at me. With a sigh, I walked upstairs to my room, closing the door behind me. I went over to my desk, sitting down in the chair. I took out my math book, wanting to finish my math homework before tomorrow.

Let's make sure that I can get this done before that evil thing enters into my brain.

Grabbing one of the pencils from my pencil holder, I got started right away, glad to have quiet in order me to concentrate on my school work.

But I don't believe that evil can change. Evil things never change. At all.

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

Once Hannah is upstairs in her room doing her homework, I too, made my way up the steps, heading to one of the guestrooms that Slappy is in, wanting to talk to him, to ask him about why he released the monsters from their manuscripts, wanting to know if he did that to get my attention.

Reaching the room, I discovered that the door was closed. I grabbed the doorknob, turning it, and discovered something else.

I couldn't get the door opened. Slappy must've locked it after me and Hannah left, or he locked it the previous night without me knowing it.

Not wanting to be demanding, I released the knob, knocking on the door.

"What!?" Slappy growled from the otherside. "What do you want!?" He was clearly not in the mood for visitors.

"Slappy... Can I come in?" I waited for his answer.

"I don't know, can you?" I rolled my eyes when he let out sarcastic reply. "Yes," he finally allowed me, changing his tone, but kept his attitude from his voice the same.

"You need to unlock the door first," I told him. There was an annoyed groan. From the other side, I heard his formal shoes hit the floor, hearing him going up to the door. After a couple of jumps, he manage to unlock the door. I opened the door. "I should get you a stool," I chuckled heartily, wanting to lightin' things up before I gave him my series side. It didn't. "Well, uh, come sit with me so we can talk." I went in and sat down on the bed.

With a guttural groan, he walked over to me, having no choice but to do what he was told. I was about to help him when he smacked my hand. Hard.

"Don't help me..." he hissed like a snake would do. "I may be three feet tall, but I can get on this damn bed, Stine," he spoke with devilishion. He got a hold of the bed and, with a weak pull, he got onto the bed. "What do you want to talk about?" He didn't look at me when he questioned that.

"I wanted to-" I stopped for a short second. "You look better," I complimented. His scratches are still visible on his face, but he wasn't pal anymore like last night.

Slappy only rolled his eyes. "Thanks," he muttered, not helping him at all. "I thought you want to give me a serious talking," he said.

"I do," I returned. "I wanted to know about why you released the monsters from their books," I started, getting solemn right away. "Did you do that to get my attention?" I questioned him. Receiving no answer, I raised a brow. "Well?"

It took him about a minute or two for him to say anything. "...yes," he confessed. "I did that to get your attention," he admitted, crossing his arms over his wooden chest, his eyes staring at the floor, blinking every now and then. "It was the _only _way to get your attention." He then locked eyes with me, giving me an angry look. "But it didn't work!" he almost screamed out loud. "You just have to ignore your own son."

"Slappy..." I was shocked at what he had told me. "I didn't ignore you," I stated.

"Yes, you did!" he began to argue. "You did ignored me! You locked me up back in Columbus, Ohio from your first home, you locked me up again back in Chicago at the library of the Town Centre Galleria, _and you crammed all of my monster 'friends' into one book!"_ he fumed. "You don't care about me at all! You _hate _me! You said I was your favorite and you _lied _to me! You lied and _betrayed _me, Four Eyes!" I opened my mouth to speak, only for him to continue. "Don't you dare say it!" he vented. "Don't you _dare say it! _I know you hated me ever since you created me and you still hate me to this day! You locked me up in my book twice, you replaced me, you thought it was a good idea to lock all of your monsters into one book that _I _have to get away from since they want a piece of crap from me, except that I failed, resulting these scars that I have now, and _**YOU DIDN'T EVEN CARE WHAT I WENT THROUGH!" **_He took a ragged breath in. A green tear emerge from his left eye, surprising me. "You think that just because what I did wrong, you have to give me that type of 'punishment'," he croaked, failing to control the green water works that are now rolling down his face. He lied down on the bed, his back to me, curling up into a ball. "I'm just a waste to you... a complete waste that you can just throw away in the trash, such as me, to never see again... That's what I am. I'm both a mistake and a waste..." He couldn't finish. The emotion was taking over him.

I just sat there on the bed, watching him cry. "Slappy." I finally was able to speak. "I didn't ignore you and I didn't lock you up in the book for punishment. I did that because you were out of control," I explained.

"Don't lie!" he infused. "Don't you dare lie to me, jackass!"

"I'm _not _lying," I protested. "And I didn't replace you, either. I just wanted to be human again."

"I don't care. I don't care, at all! It's your fault that this happened to me," he blamed. "Including Hannah," he added.

"Don't bring my daughter into this," I defended.

"You mean your favorite?" he snided.

"Slappy!" I warned. "That's enough! I'm trying to reform you!"

"Clearly it's not working, huh?" he conceded, turning his head to his back to give me sharp glare.

"It will work unless you believe what I did wasn't a lie." I was getting tired of this fighting. It reminds me of the days when he was released from his book...when he took his actions too far from beyond what he was supposed to do. "Slappy... I will never lie in my entire life. Ever. Plus what I did for you was right."

"What you did to me was wrong." Obsessively he wasn't listening to me. Being stubborn as he is. "If you did care for me, which you don't, you wouldn't let me rot in hell. You... You just abandoned me! Just like that!" His voice began to rise with anger, along with a mix of hiccuping sobs. "You- hic - had to do that to me. You could've told me what I did was - hic - wrong. Bu- hic- ut, you ju- hic- st had to lock me up in paper and leather… You - hic- don't care for me…" He turned his head away from me, not wanting me to see him cry like a child. "Also...seeing me like this...seeing me in an emotional mess...I bet you don't want to deal with a creation who cries," he spoke tearfully, making his words clear for me to hear them.

This broke me from what I heard this from him. He doesn't believe that I care for him. He thinks what I did was wrong, even though I told him what I did to him was right. What I did wasn't punishment. I did that because he was out of control.

I know it sounds wrong, but... I have to help him. I want our relationship to be fixed. I want it to be like the good days that we had before, back in Columbus, Ohio when I first created him. We always hang out together. We would always watch movies together. We would play board games together, such as _Chess _like I did with my other creations. I let him out of his book for a long time unlike the other monsters who took their job way too far. I thought he wouldn't do that. But when I saw the knife in his hand, covered in crimson, I was...sick to my stomach.

And when I yelled at him, I can clearly remember the look on his face. It was the first time I spoke to him like that. I remembered that I would be in my old study, crying, just crying, beyond horrified to the point where I just... Oh man... Slappy's right. I turned my back on him... I...turned my back on him... Abandoned him. Three times. In Columbus, Ohio... Chicago... and here, in Madison, Delaware...

I took my glasses off, setting them next to me on the bed, close to enough for me to reach them considering that my vision is a blur without them. However, water arose in my eyes, having my vision become worse.

Man... What have I done? It wasn't his fault, it was my fault. All those years of having someone by my side... someone to keep me safe from my bullies... doing a great job...

But when he took the scares and pranks too far from than he was supposed to do, it...it just...frightened me. I blame myself. For everything. It was my fault that I created these terrible monsters from my special typewriter. It was my fault that Slappy is like this now with all the scars on his face.

He was there for me and I...never returned the favor to him. It's like I didn't care for him like I have with Hannah ever since I created her. Not only that, Slappy thinks that I'd replaced him with my daughter.

I would never replace someone. Never. Except he won't believe me. It's just that...I wanted to be human, and not like a creepy guy that I was once like.

Not wanting my voice to break, I spoke. "Slappy... I'm sorry. I really am. It's okay that you don't trust me right away. It's okay for you not to believe me. I just wanted you to understand that I didn't betray you. It's my fault..."

"Oh, so now you admit it?" Slappy talked back with a croaking sob. "After all this time, you wouldn't admit it was your fault, blaming for things I did that I thought was right. Yeah, clearly you weren't smart enough to think that right away." He sniffled, his body doing a shudder. "I won't ever trust you for being such a liar to me. You had always been a damn liar. For being your favorite, which I'm not, you wouldn't put me through frickin' hell, but you did it anyway!" he railed on, forcing himself on his knees, turning around, but due to his weakened condition that he's in, he toppled onto his stomach, burying his face into the covers. "I know that what you're saying is a lie, just a lie. I wish you wouldn't do that to me. I wish you never created that stupid girl that you call your daughter..." My eyes narrowed, hearing him call my daughter stupid. "...who's a complete idiot," he continued to sob, making sure his voice is in control from it. "You shouldn't created something else. You should've just let me stay out of my book. It's all your fault!" he cried out loud, slamming his fists like a child would do. "However..." He sniffed, rolling on his side, facing me. "...since you think that I'm a mistake, then fine." He covered his eyes, not wanting to look at me anymore.

I didn't know what to say at this point. He didn't want to listen. To him, he's a mistake. He wasn't, however. Wasn't a mistake. But the more I'll tell him, the more he'll less believe me.

It's not easy trying to reform something that you created. Especially when they don't trust you right away. I want him to be happy...like how I want Hazel to be when her last treatment failed her.

That's leads me to another question. "Are you going to apologize to Hazel when she gets home?" I asked. I didn't say it in a hopeful tone in case he would say...

"...Sure."

Surprised, I gave wide eyes. "D-Did you just say...sure?" I stammered. I wasn't sure if I heard correctly.

"Yes." He uncovered his eyes. The tears remained, but they're under control for right now. "It won't be easy for me to do, but...I'll try as long as she doesn't...freak out over me." There was a hint of hopelessness in him when he said that. "I just hope she doesn't turn me into...chopped wood," he slightly punned. "Too bad that she's at that asylum."

I didn't want to correct him, that way he wouldn't get angry at me again. I picked up my glasses, placing them on my face, getting off the bed.

"It's a good thing you made that choice," I spoke. "It's a good thing that you decided to keep your promise-"

"I didn't say that it was a promise," he interrupted me, having me to shut up. "I don't like keeping promises. I'll not say sorry to her right away when she gets home. I'll do it when I want to."

"Okay, just make sure you don't forget." He only rolled his eyes, crawling his way to where the pillows are at. "I'll help you," I offered, reaching down to help him. "Ow!" I suddenly cried out, feeling his wooden hand slap my own hand.

"I don't need help," he declared. "And don't touch me, either," he put in. "I can do things myself, thank you very much." Finally reaching the pillows, he went underneath the covers, closing his eyes.

"It's still early..." I told him. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

It took him a moment to answer. "Why not? What movie are we going to watch?"

"How about you choose a movie?" I decided.

Thinking about it, Slappy tossed the blankets to the side of the bed, sitting up. Then, with a careful drop, he landed on the floor. He landed directly on the floor, but he since he's weak, he ended up falling on the floor back first, his head making a _clunk _sound.

"Slappy!" I gasped, quickly helping him up when he flinched and pulled away from me. "Are you alright?" I questioned with general concern.

"I'm fine," he grunted, shaking his head. I can tell that he didn't want to be shameful or, in fact, not wanting to be embarrassed of getting injured. He rubbed the back of his head, like he's getting rid of the pain. "Let's go and watch a movie that I want to watch." The way he said it didn't sound very thrilled at all. Probably because of how weak he is. He's used to be very happy before he was like...this.

I watched Slappy stumbling out of the room. I want to carry him into the living room, but I don't want him to snap at me. So I went with him, making sure he doesn't fall on the floor, like a parent, such as myself, stays with a small child who's learning how to roller skate for the first time.

He seemed to notice, quickly teleporting out of my sight, presumably the living room.

At least he's not too weak to do his powers...

Just as I past Hannah's room, her door opened when she stepped out. "Did he 'change'?" she asked me, making quotes with her fingers.

I ran my fingers across my chestnut hair. "He's the same as always. It's not like he's gonna reform right away. He's having trust issues ever since what happened to him. It's not his fault for the things he's done in the past, it's mine," I answered. "He did, however, say he's going to apologize to Hazel when she gets home. Only he didn't say that he promises to do so…and he's not going to do it right away, either."

"Figures," Hannah let out. "Evil things never make promises. I doubt he's gonna say sorry to Hazel for what he had done to her."

"Hannah..." I tried to explain, only for her to walk past me. I know she's upset with me for letting him out of the new book. She'll get used to him someday. Just not right away. I can't force her to get along with something, like Slappy, who tried to get rid of her in the last book she was in.

I shouldn't have put my daughter into that new manuscript. When I wrote her back to an existence where she'll be a real person instead of a ghost, I saw how a mess she looked. Her hair was terrible, she looked dirty, and she had a few cuts and bruises on her. There were even finger prints, basically from Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage, on her arms. I was ticked off when she told me it was from them before telling the boys about what happened to her, and at the same time, upset for her. Even though she had said this to me about this months ago - back in October. I was ticked off from what she went through. Not getting enough sleep, not being able to eat for weeks. I mean, when she came back, she ate everything from the fridge, including the snacks from the snack cabinets.

It's not my fault for what she's been through in that manuscript with all the other monsters; my enemies. But it's my fault for putting Slappy through much pain to the point where he won't trust me anymore. Trust takes a long time to fill into someone that has been betrayed or lied to.

Noticing moisture threatening to emerge from my left eye, I rubbed it away, making my to the living room.

"Stine says that _I _can choose a movie!" I heard an angry shout. I hurried down the steps, hurrying to the living room, wanting to know what's going on down there. When I arrive, I saw the two holding a DVD case that contained a movie disc inside it. I saw that Slappy was gripping it tightly, holding onto it as he dangled from the floor an inch or two. "Give it back, you rentless girl!" he commanded.

"Dad and I always watch horror movies together," Hannah returned unkindly. "Just me and him. Not a wooden block like you," she insulted. I can't believe what I was seeing. Hannah is never like this. "Let...go!" Grabbing the back of his collar of his tux, she forced him to let go of the object. I gasped when she threw him across the room like a rag doll, having him sail to the other side where the front door is at.

"Ow!" His head came smacking into the wall, letting out a painful yelp, falling to the floor in a sitting potion. "Ugh..." he groaned, rubbing his head for the second time that night. "Hey!" he yelled out. "That wasn't very nice, girl!" he declared with a sharp look.

"I have a name, you know," she responded back. "Get out of my sight or-"

"Hannah!" I intervened, stepping in front of him. "Stop it," I ordered. "Me and Slappy are going to watch a movie tonight. You can watch a movie with us." I was expecting her to take my invention. That wasn't the case, though.

"Watch a horror movie with you and that evil thing behind you?" she said in total disbelief. "No way would I watch a movie with..." She pointed directly behind me. "...that."

"Hannah, please..." I made sure she doesn't pass by me to get to him. "You don't have to be mean to him. You're always this nice girl," I said.

"I'm not being mean. I don't trust that dummy," she stated. "If you try to be nice to me, I won't buy it," she directed her words to him. "I'm going to bed." She was about to head for the stairs when I grabbed onto her shoulder. She stopped, turning her direction towards me. The frown remained on her face.

"Give him a chance," I said. "Please?" I released her. She didn't walk away or anything. She didn't speak for a long time.

Finally, she did. Turning her attention towards Slappy, she spoke. "I'll give you a chance, Slappy. I'll give you _one more _chance. Only one. However, if you decide not to change your evil ways, refusing to become good, then I'm going to have my boyfriend get an axe and chop you up into a million pieces." She gave him a warning look, pointing at him. "Don't think that I'll be nice to you at the very start. You hurt my dad, Hazel, almost killed me, and destroyed the town."

"I didn't destroy the town, the monsters did," Slappy corrected from behind me.

"You did it, too." She crossed her arms over he chest. "Don't say that you didn't. You were there when the school got destroyed," Hannah reminded, recalling the event.

Slappy growled. "You don't believe me, huh?!" I jumped, not expecting him to switch moods...like Hazel did... "You think that I destroyed the damn school!? It was from my 'fellow friends' that did it!" He teleported to where I was at, even though he could've walked towards her. "Since you don't trust me, I'll-"

"Slappy!" I shouted, stopping his threat at an instinct. I faced Hannah. "You can go on upstairs," I allowed. "I'll just spend my night with him. You go on ahead upstairs. It's not time to go to bed yet, so lay on your bed and read for awhile," I suggested.

Hannah sighed, pulling her fingers down through her hair. "I'll do that..."

"Good, and we don't want to hear your mouth."

"Slappy," I warned. He only grumbled, sitting down at the floor beside me. He looked down at the floor, pulling his knees up, resting his forehead onto them, his arms hanging at his sides. He mumbled something that I can't make out. I sighed. "Go upstairs, Hannah. Don't worry, I'll deal with him," I promised at her.

Hannah didn't say nothing else. All she did was nod before heading up the stairs, handing the DVD box for me to take, which I did.

Once I heard her bedroom door shut, my eyes went over to Slappy. "What movie were you and Hannah fighting over?"

"_Dead Silence," _he muttered.

"You want to watch it?" I asked after looking at the title when he told me what it is. "I haven't watched this movie in a long time. I don't remember the last time we watched this one together..." I tried to remember, only it was fuzzy and fogged up.

"It was the day that you released me from my book." My brain was interrupted when he recalled the memory before I did. "It was the first movie that you let me pick out," he told me, picking his head up. "I had a lot of fun watching it with you…" He turned his direction away from me, a green tear leaking at the corner of his right eye. "But now..." The tear ran down his cheek, hitting his gray pants. He didn't seem to notice though, watching it turn into a stain. "...now the fun is gone... all thanks to you..." Turning his body around, his back was now directing towards me, his head down.

Silence filled the room. The only sound that I'm literally hearing are his tears dripping onto the floor. There was no sniffling, just tear dropping.

I wanna tell him that just because what I did was wrong, doesn't mean that the fun is gone from between us.

Slappy wouldn't believe me. He wouldn't believe me for awhile after what he went through. It's like...lying to a child… After they've been lied to, they won't trust anyone. And being stated before, Slappy would not trust me for, maybe, awhile.

Don't worry, Stine, he'll trust you again, I told myself, running my fingers through my hair a couple of times.

How do I get him to trust me? That's what I'm wondering. I just can't ask him to trust me. He'll end up saying no, adding with lots of yells and sobs.

"You don't care that I - hic - cry," Slappy hiccuped a sob.

"I _do _care for you," I protested, my voice calm and steady, not wanting to start yelling. "Just because you're made to be evil doesn't mean you can't cry," I told him.

"Yeah right." He let out a scoff. As always, he doesn't believe me. "I bet you don't cry." He turned his head to his back, the thin strip of green water of tears continuing to run out of his eyes. It's like he can't control them anymore. "I bet you don't cry," he cracked in repeat. "You never cried ever since you trapped me my original manuscript _and _after you trapped me in the new one along with my so-called 'pals'... They blamed me for everything, that...my ego is now...gone. It's not fair that Hannah can be free forever and not me..." Forcing himself to turn away from me again, his sobs increased to the point where he couldn't speak anymore. It was only lots of sobbing.

I went over to the couch with the DVD in my hand, setting it on my lap. Watching him cry brought the water into my own eyes.

Somehow, it seemed that my sad feeling went over to him. He looked at me with unbelievable eyes. "I know you're faking, Stine," he spoke with a sniffle.

"I'm not faking," I answered. "I cry, too." Slappy just rolled his eyes in complete disbelief. "Really," I insisted. "After I trapped you I..." I took a deep breath in letting out slowly, feeling the dampness of my eyes going away. "...was pretty upset; felt bad. I was afraid to let you out again for what you did to my bullies. That's another reason I created Hannah. I always make evil beings like evil ghosts, monsters, demons, you name it. I never made a creation that is...good. She may not be evil nor keep me safe from those who picked on me in fear it'll happen to her. I always have to keep her in the house whether I'm there or not, and that's when she was a ghost before she became a...living human like me, here friends, her boyfriend, and everyone else on earth. But…" I picked up the DVD, tossing it back and forth in my hands. "...there had been times where I _do _want you to help keep my daughter safe." Slappy's eyes are now wide with shock. "I always thought that," I said. "Except I was afraid that you'll...hurt in anyway," I confessed.

"Why would I do that?" he responded after I finished. "I never hurt you," he stated, bringing up a good point for once.

"True..." I had to agree. "It's just that..." Better come up with something so that he won't get mad… "You're...uh... Let's just say that I didn't trust you..." I slowly managed to get out of my mouth.

Slappy's mood changed right away, just like Hazel… "You don't trust me?!" he exclaimed with clear anger.

"You don't trust _me_, so what's the difference?" I questioned with some anger as well.

"...Oh." His eyebrows went up. "Basically I'm the bad guy, right?" His eyebrows went down a bit.

"No, you're not!" I placed the DVD next to me. I took off my glasses, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "You're not a bad guy, Slappy. You just got out of control; you're scares getting to far and the pranks that you did," I explained the best as I could. "Now, do you want to watch this movie or not?" I asked, picking up the DVD for the second time.

Slappy sighed. "Why not?" Getting up at his feet, he carefully made his way over to me. "I need something to keep my mind out for those who betrayed me…" He narrowed his eyes at me before grabbing the couch cushion, lifting himself up. Or at least tried to. For not having a lot of strength that he should have, like the way I wrote him, he couldn't get onto the furniture. "Dammit," he cursed under his breath with a hint of frustration. He tried again. He failed, landing on the floor with his shoes and not on his bottom. I went to help him only for me to send me a look that could scare a mouse away. "Don't help me!" he sniped. "I can do things myself. I'm not a child, you know."

I shrugged, watching him grab the cushion and, with a weak pull, he finally was able to get onto the couch. "There you go." My praise didn't seem to phase him. The results I got was crossed arms from him.

"Put the movie in." At least his frustration is gone. "I don't remember what the movie is about but put it in anyway."

I got up from the couch. "It'll be better to say it nicely," I suggested, hoping it'll change his attitude.

"Please put the movie on, Stine," he said sarcastically, not caring about his rudeness.

I just rolled my eyes. Besides, he did say the word please and that counts. Except when you're only saying it in a sarcastic way.

I turned the TV on, going to the channel to get the DVD set up.

Once I did that, I grabbed the DVD remote, pressing the _open/close _button. The DVD player opened, waiting for me to put the disk inside it.

Taking the disc out, I checked for any scratch marks or dirt on it. I know that there are irresponsible people who don't take care of their stuff. Like DVDs. I even hated when people don't take care of their books.

I hope my books that I sold are taken care of, I thought. The disc was in good shape; no marks or anything on it just like is should be. I put it in the DVD player. I made sure it was in right before closing it.

Making my way to the couch, I sat down next to Slappy who still has his crossed over his chest.

"You look grumpy," I noted as the TV went through the previews and a few trailers of other movies.

"I'm not grumpy," Slappy replied, slumping. "I'm just…" A sigh left his wooden mouth. "I'm not grumpy..."

"You look grumpy to me." Looking at his scratched up face, a thought came into my head. "I should get you fixed up..." I said out loud.

All he gave me was a simple grunt. "I'm fine. I don't need to be fixed."

I can tell that he's lying. The one thing is that he'll keep feeling rubbish all the time. The second thing is that the marks made him more...scarier. I can leave the marks that are on his chin and nose, though... It makes him look unique in a way.

When the menu came onto the screen of the TV, I gave the remote to Slappy. "You can play the movie," I told him. "Just press the _play _button and the movie will start," I instructed. "I'm going to go to the kitchen to make a sandwich."

"Mm." He shrugged his wooden shoulders, taking the remote into his hand. "Sure."

Leaving the living room, I made my way to the kitchen, grabbing stuff to make a sandwich.

Once I finished making it, I set it on a plate, returning to the living room.

I was surprised to see Slappy now laying on the couch, his knees curled up in front of his chest. I was about to say something when he spoke first.

"I'm fine," he repeated as always. "I wanted to lie down."

"Alright, I just wanted to know," I said, sitting back down on the couch. I missed a small part of the movie. No big deal, anyway. I've seen the movie before so I know what happens in it.

As we're watched the movie with me chowing down on my sandwich, we didn't talk during the whole thing.

By the time the movie was over, which was an hour later, I took the disc out, placing it back inside the DVD box. "Want to watch another one?" I asked. No answer. "Slappy?" I turned my attention towards him.

There on the couch, I saw that he was sleeping. Fast asleep to be exact.

I didn't want to carry him back into one of the guestrooms that he slept in. Instead, I went over to the closet and took out a large blanket that me and him use every winter when we watched holiday shows and movies.

Great times... It was way before Hannah came into the picture. I used to give him gifts all the time.

Now when I think about it, I am a dad to him. He always calls me papa. Now he just calls me by my name. Last name to be corrected. The only person who calls me by my first name will be Lorriane. And most of my monsters except a few that would call me dad, which annoyed me. The only person who's allowed to call me that is my daughter.

What about Slappy? you may wonder. Slappy used to call you papa until now. Now he only calls you by your last name.

Covering him up with the blanket, I grabbed my plate that now has crumbs all over it, making my way back to the kitchen to wash it for the night.

After the plate is washed and cleaned, I put it on the dish rack for it to dry overnight. Then I headed upstairs for bed, even though it was a little past seven, but I was tired.

Before I went to my room, I went over to Hannah's bedroom, grabbing the doorknob. I opened the door. "Hey, sweetheart," I greeted, seeing that she hadn't gone to bed yet. She doesn't go to bed until nine or ten o'clock in the evening. "Whatcha reading?" I entered her room.

"_The Hunger Games," _Hannah answered, not looking at the title. "I'm reading the second book."

"What about the first book?" I responded, looking at her own bookshelf filled with all types of books. "Shouldn't you be reading them in order like most people would do?" I said.

"Don't feel like it. Besides..." She flipped to the next page. "I read the first book a bunch of times; I know what the story is about," she told me, not taking her eyes off of her paperback. "Do want anything?" she questioned while she kept on reading.

"No. No," I shook my head. "I was curious to what you are reading. I wanna make sure you're not reading any…"

"Dad," she spoke, placing the book on her chest. "I know the rule about books. You said, 'Hannah, you can read any book except the ones that are not appropriate for your age'," she stated the rule.

"Good thing you remembered it." I have a strict rule when it comes to her with books. She's only allowed to read books that are appropriate and nothing...well... you know...inappropriate. I actually get the books for her to read at Barnes And Nobles. I don't go there all the time, but when I do, I pick out the best books for her. "Well, I'm heading for bed," I told her, giving her a heads up.

She picked up her book. "Okay." She went right back to reading. "Goodnight, dad," she replied.

"Goodnight," I returned. I walked out of the room, stopping. "You want your door to be closed or opened?"

"Leave it open for now," she requested. "I'll close the door when I go to bed." She continued reading.

So I left the room, leaving the door open, heading to my own bedroom.

Stepping inside, I switched my work clothes to my night time clothes. I'll take a shower first thing in the morning.

Going over to my bed, I lied down, removing my glasses, setting them on my nightstand that has a lamp, the light filling the entire room. I made sure I can reach them. Like I mentioned before, my vision without them is a blur.

Pulling the covers close to me, I went onto one side, waiting for sleep to enter through me.

When it did, I closed my eyes, waiting for the next day.


	26. Chapter 26: Date Night

**Chapter 26: Date Night**

* * *

I can't believe I'm going out on a date with Jackson. I'm ready for one, but I wasn't expecting myself to say yes after he asked me out again since I said no during the first round. However, I'm not ready to be his girlfriend. Not yet, though. You can't expect me to say yes to be his girlfriend. I'm not used to having a relationship with a boy. It's all new to me.

Let me just say that I'm...slow when it comes to these things. It's how I am. I can't say I blame myself until now.

I should've stayed in school. I can ask Stine to enroll me into real school instead of doing it online. I'm sure he'll won't mind it. He may look scary, but he's really nice, even though I thought that he was an abusive father towards Hannah... But it turns out I was wrong. He just lost control over the argument that he and his daughter had.

I was expecting to see marks and bruises all over her. Manely bruises in the shape of a wooden spoon... or from the leather strap that Jeff used on me.

I remembered what his weapon looked like at the top of my head. It was black, leathery, and he always holds the two ends with one hand, right or left, having it fold in half for him to able to...hit me with it.

I can remember the stinging pain every time he used it on me when I was really little. It hurts each time he does it, and when I'll scream in pain, he'll hit me even harder until he was done. He wouldn't say anything. He'll only give me a hateful look from his eyes that would trap mine...staring at me when he'll leave out of my sight with Travis watching the whole thing with the cruel smirk on his face.

Of course, when I'm in the way of Kelly, she would scream at me, scaring me up to my room where I'll spend all my days in... and my god brother getting his dad to beat me whenever he had the chance...

He likes it when he sees me getting tortured everyday. There had been times where Jeff would hit me during the night time!

I don't know why those people hated me. What did I do? I have never done anything to them. All I did was came into the family… all I wanted was love from them like my real parents would do. My real mom would never scream at me and my real dad would never smack me in anyway, so...why my god parents and my god brother? What made them hate me? The questions rolled around like a rolling stone inside my head.

A lot of the times, I'll do my damn best to stay away from them. However, it'll just be a big flop. Kelly would keep yelling and screaming with anger… Travis would tell crushel fibs to Jeff... and Jeff would just...finish the job...

Why? Just why do they dislike me!? What have I done to deserve to be treated...that way? It's... I can't even think about that word. It's awful and a lot of kids have been through it.

I'm lucky that I didn't get _killed _at that stupid house that they lived in and they still live at that house to this day. I just know it.

Good thing I never came back to that disgusting place because I'll never in my life would ever return myself to those...cruel people on earth.

They don't even care anyway... Don't care for me at all... They...forgot about me. I bet they don't even remember me...

I rested my right cheek on my hand, staring at the night sky as Jackson drove us to the restaurant, my stomach rumbling. My mind went over with food, pushing the bad memories from my childhood out of my brain.

Will I keep remembering the awful past? Probably. At least I don't have anymore flashbacks... I don't want to remember the bad times. I need to fill my soul with good things...like my first date with this boy. I'm not sure if it'll raise my spirits. Maybe a little, and that's fine with me.

"What's the restaurant called?" I broke the silence and asked.

"It's a seafood restaurant," Jackson answered, stopping at a red light, waiting for it to turn green. "Have you had fish before?" he said.

I thought about it, but I can't remember the last time I had fish. "I wish I can recall it..." I replied truthfully. "I bet I never had fish in my life, and I have never been to a seafood restaurant in my life, too," I added. "What do they have anyway?" I asked in full curiosity.

"All kinds of seafood. You should get troute." The light turned green, having him continue driving. "Troute is the best fish ever to eat," he smiled. "It's one of my favorites, too." His smile was placed with a frown when he glanced at me with the corner of his eye. "You don't have any allergies to seafood...right?"

"Huh? What?" I responded quickly. "No, I don't," I told him. "I don't have any kind of food allergy," I clarified. "Why'd you asked?" I questioned, looking at him.

He shrugged. "I was just wondering, that's all," he simply spoke, the worry leaving his face.

"You don't have to worry, Jackson," I assured him the best as I could. "I don't have allergies to anything. Not even food." I looked out the car window, seeing some clouds, one of them going over the moon. "We have to remember to get back at mental hospital around eight sharp," I reminded him.

"I'll check my phone and we can leave the restaurant around seven or seven-thirty," he clearly noted. "We have plenty of time, too," he gestured at the radio clock, reading five fifteen. "I'm in the mood for crab legs," he beamed with excitement. "What about you?"

I faced away from the window. "Hm?"

"What about you?" he repeated. "What are you in the mood for?"

"...Food." Yeah... I didn't care what I ate. Seafood is food and food is good. "I'll just get a simple troute," I decided, knowing what to order before we got there. "Do you even know where the place is at?" I was almost worried that we'll end up getting lost.

"I've been there before, Hazel," he said, helping my concern. "I know my way around this state, too," he smiled.

"Oh, okay, good." My direction was now back out the window. "Good." I sighed, resting my eyes, closing them. I didn't fall asleep, all I did was...relaxed. "What happens if you go home before me?" I suddenly brought up out of nowhere. "What should I do then?" The worry came back to me.

"Well..." He began to think as he made a turn after letting a car past him. "If I _do _leave before you... don't worry about it," he advised. "Not only that, you'll get a new roommate," he brighted out. "I get new roommates all the time, and it's cool having new friends."

"I guess that's cool…" Not really. I can barely say anything to a new person. "When I do get a new roommate, will that person not like me?" I saw his face filled with shock. "It's something that I go through," I explained the reason on why I asked that. "I don't trust new people unless I get to know them such as you...Hannah… Champ...Zach...Stine... and everybody else that I met before and after the monster attack in Madison," I listed off their names. "Those are the ones, including you and the people who work at the mental hospital, that I can only trust. With the rest of the people in this world, I cannot trust them. You can't trust everyone, Jackson," I told him seriously. "There are people that are complete jerks out there."

"Yeah, I can agree with you there... but not _everybody _is bad," he pointed out, bringing up a good topic. "You can't say that every single person is cruel unless they are."

"Like my god family?" I put in.

"Like your god family," he nodded. "Have called the police on them?" he asked me.

"...no..." I shook my head. "I'll get in trouble for doing that anyway..." I rubbed my arms, the memories flooding back to me. "I never told anyone about my past life… I always kept it to myself in fear of being...rejected. The first person I ever told was Hannah. At first I didn't want to, but she insisted that I tell her so... I did." I began to tear up. "I can never know why my god family hated me... Like, what did I ever do to them? Why do they dislike me? All I wanted are..." I sighed. "...answers."

"What happens, you know, when you end up seeing them?"

I gritted my teeth, clenching them tightly where they're now starting to get sore, having me to release the grip from them. "I do not want to see them..." I seized, curling my fingers into fists. "I will never see those jerks in my whole entire life!"

"But... what happens if you do...?" Jackson hesitantly continued to ask.

"It'll never happen," I disbelieve, uncurling my fists, relaxing my fingers. "I ran away from that home, and I'm-" I stopped, not knowing how to finish the last part.

"Glad?" he helped out.

"I would be glad..." I looked down. "...only I can't... I can't ever put a...grin on my face..."

"Don't worry." He gave me a gentle nudge with his elbow with an assurance. "You'll be happy. It takes time for it to return. It took me awhile to smile," he told me with great attitude.

With that feeling coming off from him, it didn't bounce over to me. "Yeah," I somewhat replied, glancing at the window for like the third or fourth time. "You're right. It just takes time..." I spoke with...some hope. I didn't want to be really hopeful about it. Although I took my new medication, it'll take about a week or two for them to start working.

I put my hand on the side of my head, my elbow resting on the car door. My head being emptied out while I did my best to think of good things before the bad things that ever happened to me.

There's been a few tries where I tried to put on a smile when I forced myself to live by myself when I was five years old. Really. I tried. But the beatings and the yelling and teasing got in my way to where I...gave up. Like that.

When someone will tell a joke, the other person laughs. For me, I don't. I hadn't laughed in years after my real parents died in that car crash. Nobody will laugh with me, just at me. A lot of my classmates would make fun of me, calling me names.

At home, Travis would make sure my life is miserable. He wanted to make sure that I won't have a great time living with him and his parents. Hey, just because I'm not their biological daughter and sister, doesn't mean they can treat me differently.

The things they did to me wasn't punishment. It's abuse. Like, who comes into a child's room, drags them out of their bed, and hits them repeatedly? It never teaches a child anything. The thing I learned from those people that I had lived with is to stay away from them as possible.

But they always made sure to take advantage of me in someway. They never left me alone. Ever. They do whatever they wanted to do to me.

I hate my life. I hate the way I am. It's their damn fault for making me this way. They could've let me live with a foster family or let me live with the other people who are part of my family. They don't have to have me live with them.

Except, I wasn't old enough then to make my own choices. I had to wait to make my own choice. The only choice I made was to run away from the dreaded place.

Now that I'm a teenager, I can make any choice I want unless I have permission. I can ask Stine to let me go to the movies by myself. Only I don't have a car. Neither does Hannah. We can ask him to let us go to driving classes...

"I'm hungry," I mentioned, my stomach now getting on my nerves from all the rumbling inside.

That made Jackson chuckle. "We're here," he announced. I looked up to see a decent looking restaurant. It wasn't your fancy type of food place that some of you would like to go to. This, however, is more simple. Not too small and not too big, either. "Come on." He parked the car on to of the parking sections right close to the building. "You're going to love it," he promised me, taking off his seatbelt. He went to do mine when I stopped him.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I can do it myself." Taking off my own seatbelt, I pushed the car door open, making sure I don't hit the other car that is right next to me. Getting out, I shut the car door in the process. "Better hurry before I starve to death," I bluntly stated.

All Jackson did was gave me a friendly smirk. "You're not going to starve to death."

The vibe he gave off had me change my attitude. I kept my dull look, but my annoyed expression faded away.

Better be like this instead of ruining this 'special night'.

"Let's go." I began walking to the door, wanting to get food in me. But he got to the door first before I could.

He opened the door, stepping to the side. I didn't move, standing there with confusion. I mean, I could've grab the door myself. I know that he likes me and I like him back, and I can do things myself. I taught myself how to survive on my own at a very young age.

He seemed to sense my feelings, moving his hand forward, directly towards the inside of the restaurant. "You go first," he politely let in.

"Oh... Um..." I walked in the building. "Thanks," I accepted with a simple nod. He came in after me, letting the door go. I sniffed. "It smells like...fish," I mentioned, almost not liking the scent.

"What do you expect for this place to smell like? Chicken?" he joked amusingly. I didn't laugh, the frown maintaining my face. "Okay, well, let's wait till we get seated," he changed the subject, breaking the short silence between us.

It didn't take long when we got a seat. A booth right next to the window.

"The waiter will come and take your order," the guy told us, handing out our menus. When he left, I opened mine up.

It seems like since I've been surviving on my own, I suddenly realized that I never read a menu before. I never looked at one in my whole life.

"What are you going to have? Troute?" Jackson spoke.

"H...Huh?" I set my menu on the table, leaving it open. "Um..." I replied. "I have no idea what I want now... I never looked at a menu before," I explained with bashfulness, my face turning pink on the cheeks.

"You never looked at a menu before?" I nodded my head. "It's not that hard, all you have to do is choose what you want," he expressed. "You don't have to be embarrassed about it. I sometimes have trouble deciding what I want. It's not a big deal," he assured me. "You can tell the waiter that you don't know what to order and he or she will let you take your time."

"At least that helps." I picked up my menu. "We can get drinks first."

"Great idea," he seemed to agree with me. "What types of drink are you going to get? They have a lot of options." He flipped his menu over to where it shows the drinks. "They have root beer, coke, mountain dew..."

"I'll take water," I preferred.

"Water? You don't want any soda? They serve hot chocolate here."

I shook my head. "Water's fine. I'm not a big fan of hot chocolate anyway." Looking at the menu, the words seem to swim in front of me. "So many choices..." I murmured, having trouble what I wanted to eat, my stomach growing impatient by the second.

That's when the waitress came up to our table. She wore a uniform and her hair was blonde, tied up in a bun that's in a tight braid. She took out her notepad, clicking her pen that is the color of red.

"Is there anything you like to drink?" she asked.

We both told her what drinks we want. She left and a second later she came back, handing out the drinks with straws to us. After that, she let us look through our menus for time.

"Why can't we go to Mcdonald's or Wendy's?" I whispered under my breath. "I'm used to those restaurants. The same goes the buffet restaurants. That way I know what to pick." It felt like I was talking to myself because Jackson didn't cut in.

What a polite boy.

"Have you decided what to order?"

I dropped my menu, having land on the table top. I slammed my fists on the table, having my full cup of water wobble, almost tipping over. Jackson grabbed the cup right on time, and some water made a puddle next to it, the napkin getting soaking wet.

"I don't know what I want to eat!" I shouted out in full depervasion, causing our table to have looks from other people.

"Hazel." Jackson freed my cup. "What have I told you?" he said. "Tell her you need more time." He pointed at the waiter who wore a shocked look on her face. "You don't need to yell," he told me.

"Sorry..." I hung my head and apologized. "Can I have more time, please?" I didn't look at the waiter. I didn't want her to see her face, knowing that she's now angry when I yelled out at her like some kind of bad person.

"Of course." Now I was looking at her, unexpected to see a bright grin plastered on her face. "Don't worry, I'll give you more time," she smiled politely. "Call me when you're ready."

Leaving me and Jackson alone, I began to sink in my chair. The people continued to stare at us, not breaking the eyes off of us.

It felt like a long time, but soon they went back to eating, going back to their own types of conversations.

All I did was sat there, my face all burned up, and mumbled something for Jackson to hear. "Can we leave?"

"Why?" He put down his own menu with a questioning look. "We just got here like five minutes ago," he frowned.

I teared up. "I know..." Getting up from the table, I was about to walk away when he grabbed me by the shoulder. "What?"

"It was only one shout. No one is mad at ya," he reassured me. "Besides, we have to be back around eight. It's five thirty," he pointed to a clock on the wall.

Seeing that he was right, I sat back down. I didn't talk. All I did was sip my water, feeling how cold it is down my throat.

"Make sure not to drink too much," he chuckled. "Or else you'll be too full of water." He took a couple of sips of his coke.

I didn't answer as I went through the menu for the sixth time. "I'll get a simple trout with steam carrots and mashed potatoes." I closed up my menu. "You can call the waiter over. I don't want to shout again," I avoided.

"No problem." He turned his head. "Waiter, we're ready now," he called out in a normal voice.

She came up to us, notepad and pen ready at hand. "Okay, what would you two like?" She clicked her pen.

"I'll have crab legs with a side of salad. Nothing on the salad," Jackson casually ordered.

"And I'll have trout with steamed carrots and mashed potatoes," I added, making sure that she heard me.

"Alright, I'll be right back. You're order will be here in twenty minutes," she told us, taking away our menus.

"Thanks." I didn't look at her, but she seemed to take it well. She left our table with us waiting patiently for our food to arrive. Well, Jackson is. Not me. I don't like waiting for long periods of time. I get very fidgety when it comes to this stuff. It's like waiting for a package to arrive at your house. "They better bring the food here _before _twenty minutes," I stated. "I don't like waiting for that many minutes."

"It's for twenty minutes. Give them time to cook our food. We don't want to go back with a stomach virus, do you?" he said, playing with the wrapper from his own straw, making small crumpling sounds. "I rather eat my food when it's all cooked up." He let the straw wrapper fall threw his fingers. "Except for my salad, of course," he heartily chuckled.

I didn't respond back. Guess I'm too hungry to say anything else to add into the conversation. I'm starting to feel like this 'date' is a complete flop. I should be talking, saying things. But I guess I don't have lots to say this evening.

Ugh. Why did I agree this time to go out with him? This isn't going to make me happy. I cannot wait twenty minutes for our food to get to our table. All I can do is give my stomach water to keep it satisfied. I don't care about how much I'm gonna eat. I'm used to eating less and not big dinners unless I'm really hungry for it.

I'm not saying that I don't like our date. I just don't like waiting for a long time. The next time he asks me out, we'll go to a fast food or buffet restaurant. Nothing fancy whatsoever.

Our food came by like in twenty minutes, just like our waiter promised.

I picked up my fork and began eating. The trout cuts up nicely, so it looks like I don't need to use a knife for it. The steamed carrot and mashed potatoes are good, too.

After we finished, Jackson paid. I had no idea how he has money in his pockets, but he did. Paying for our meal, he told me to go to his car.

"I'll be there. Go on ahead and wait for me," he encouraged, giving me a little push towards the same doors that we use to come into this building.

I nodded, heading right outside the restaurant, making my way to his car.

By the time I got to his car, I got in the passenger seat right after I opened the door. Closing the door, I made sure it was shut tight before placing my seatbelt on. I would check the time, except the car is off. Jackson didn't check the phone while we ate, so I have no idea what time it is.

While I waited, I tried to find different shapes from the stars. I didn't find any because of the night time clouds hovering over the ground.

"I'm back." My attention was distracted when Jackson came back. "I got us cookies," he proudly smiled, holding up a bag.

"Cookies...?" I wasn't in the mood for cookies. "Why did you got cookies?" I questioned.

He shrugged. "For dessert," was all he can answer with. "Do you like sugar cookies?" he asked, setting the bag between us.

"I don't like cookies," I honestly shared. "I'm not much of dessert fan of any kind. I don't even like candy very much." I got a strange look from his eyes. "Why are you staring at me like that?" I asked, feeling very uncomfortable. "Can you please stop looking at me like that?" I wanted to be free from his new gaze. "All I said is that I'm not a big fan of desserts and that I don't eat candy that much."

"So..." he started speaking. "...you don't want a cookie?" He took one out, offering it to me.

"Later," I quickly told him. I didn't want to be bothered by some type of cookie. "I'm full right now. I might eat it tomorrow."

"No problem," he took in. He dropped it back into the bag. "I'm full, too." Starting up the car, he drove us back to the mental hospital. Although it should be called something else... I don't like the word 'mental'. It sounds mean. But what can I do about it? I can't ask them to change the name.

"Did that date made you less sad?" Jackson spoke, cutting off the silence.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure..." I barely answered, resting my head against the seat. "I don't think it worked." I sighed. "You did your best, though. I thought it'll help get me to smile again..." I flicked my hair. "...only it didn't," I finished.

"You'll smile someday. You need to have patients. The new treatment will kick in no time. Sometimes people who take the new treatment and they'll start being happy right before it kicks in," he told me, getting onto the bright side.

"Yeah..." I glanced at the front window. "You're right. I will be happy again someday..." I blew a strand of hair out of my face. "It'll take time...but I don't know when it's gonna happen."

* * *

We returned back to the building just in time. We came back within two minutes before eight, which I wasn't expecting. I was expecting us to be late, preparing for us to get shouted at. Turns out I was wrong.

We entered the building. Nobody was here, indicating that all the patients and employees are asleep. I closed the door as quietly as I could.

It made no choice. I good sign. I don't want to wake anyone up from their slumber.

"Come on," Jackson said in a low whisper, leading me back to our room, being very quiet, almost tip-toeing. "Good thing we came back on time," he said by the time we got to our room. He grabbed the door of our room, letting me enter first. "I'm going to bed," he yawned. "Normally I'll sleep around nine or ten-ish, but I'm going straight to bed." He set the bag of cookies onto the dresser. "See you in the morning, Hazel."

"See you in the morning," I returned softly, going through my books, picking up one of them. I'll read until it's time for me to take my night pills to help me sleep, I decided. I have plenty of time to read, anyway.

Going over to my bed, I plopped onto the mattress, almost knocking the stuff bear over onto the floor. I caught it in the nick of time with my free hand, setting it on the other side to me close to the wall.

I went to the first chapter of _The Cuckoo Clock Of Doom_. Hm. This book reminded of that clock in Stine's creepy basement... I wonder if the clock works the same as this book, letting people travel back in time.

If it did, I'll go and change my life back when I was a small child. However, that's impossible. You can't change the past. You can't change anything to make things right.

It's also hard for me to leave the bad past behind me.

While I read my book, I couldn't concentrate on it. The question Jackson gave me about my god parents, about what would happen when I run into them... I don't know. It's the only answer I can come up with

I would never ever see those people again. I don't want them to start... Sigh. I don't want them to start torturing me like they had before…

Getting through half of the book, I checked the clock. I wasn't surprised when it read nine sharp. I set my book down, making a note to myself to where I left off.

I took my night time pills, and laid back down on the bed, facing the stuffed bear who looked back at me with its beady, black eyes.

When sleep came to me, I closed my eyes, wanting to have good dreams instead of the strange and real dream I had before.

The dream of Travis sent shivers down my spine. He scares me, he really does. I'm not afraid of his irritating smirk. I'm afraid of his appearance. What frightens me the most is that the dream felt...too real... Too...predictable.

Am I psychic? I wondered in thought. I shook that away. No, I'm not. Only...how does that explain when I sensed that evil dummy months ago in Stine's study room?

It's more like a mystery to me. A simple mystery that cannot be explained until later on in my life.


	27. Chapter 27: Chatting

**Chapter 27: Chatting**

* * *

**Slappy**

* * *

I woke up during the middle of the night, my eyes wide open, sitting up from the couch. I don't know why I woke up, but I did. I began to feel dread in me, the memories of me and Stine having great times during the great days we had with each other. It was in the form of a dream; a good dream.

In the dream, I was released out of my book for the first time. I was stunned when I found out that I was in the living room of his old home back in Columbus, Ohio after I was free from my own manuscript.

I was like a little kid, curious of what he had in his home. He had a lot of nick-knacks around his first home to where I wanted to see everything, wanting to get my wooden hands on them.

Of course, Stine wouldn't let me do anything like that. He was strict when it comes to his stuff, not wanting a simple finger print on any object of his living room. In fact, he gave me clear rules, making sure I agreed with them.

I did. At first rules were fine. It keeps parents' children out of trouble. I didn't seem like a big deal to me, anyway. I made sure to stay out of trouble.

He even told me about the job I have to do. A job to scare his bullies away from his home. He clearly didn't want to be around them. The look on his face told me what they'll do to him. When he'll talk about them, he'll be in the verge of crying. He manages to bring out every word about those idiots.

I was ticked off after every detail of what they'll do to him. He told me they'll make fun of him for his allergies for not being able to go outside. It was a time where he was still searching for the right meds to control them.

I never knew what it was until the one time he had to step outside to get the mail from the mailbox on the exact same day when I was out of my book. He'll be sneezing like crazy, almost sounding like a volcano ready to explode again.

I'm lucky to be a wooden puppet. I don't have to eat or suffer allergies like most humans would do in their normal lives.

Of course, I did my job. It was fun frightening those idiotic pests who'll wonder to our front yard or back yard. A lot of the times, I'll just spring out at them from one of the bushes or be sitting on a porch like some kind of Halloween prop, waiting eagerly for any of them to notice me, thinking that I wasn't...real.

"Of course, I am real!" I would exclaim in a frightening but eerie and chilling voice. The cruel people would scream their heads off, sputtering, pointing fingers at me as I'll get up and walk towards them. "What's the matter?" was the next thing I'll say to make them feel even more terrified. "Never seen someone like me? I'm pretty cute, huh?" There would be no answer from no one. "You don't think I'm cute? Well, do you know what I think of you guys?" A minute would pass with nothing from these jerks. "I think you people are a waste!" I'll cry out, my face twisting in anger. "Who do you think you are?! Making fun of my papa!"

Yes, it was right before I started calling him Stine.

However, the dream turned into a nightmare. It started off slow until it progressed. I was heavily scared when he came up to me with my book.

"No!" I let out a scream of terror, watching him open my book. "No! Stop! I didn't do anything!" The wind began to pick up, the lights going on and off. "Papa, stop!"

That was the part that made me wake up from it.

Now here I am, gripping the blanket. I don't know how I got it, but I'm guessing Stine gave it to me when I passed out on the couch.

Throwing the blanket over across to the other side of the living room furniture, getting off of it, fixing my gray trousers that matched my suit.

After getting them straightened out, I proceeded to the stairs. I wanna see if Stine is awake at this hour, but knowing the time, he'll probably not be.

There was one way to find out. Carefully, I made my way up to the second floor, climbing the steps like it was a mountain. I slipped, grunting in frustration because of my weakness. I have strength, but it's not enough for me to continue my way up.

I was too lazy to use my teleportation powers, so I can only do my best to not hiss in pain from the scars that are all over me.

Stine had a good point. I do need to get all fixed up. But who'll fix someone up like me? I'm not sure there's a woodworking shop or a doll hospital or some…

Wait. Did I mention doll? Ew, I hate that word. It's worse than dummy. Let's hope Stine doesn't take me to a...doll hospital.

Once I made it up the stairs, I let out a painful grunt, feeling like I was being torn apart again. I act so much, I thought about stopping, giving up.

"Come on, Slappy. You're a monster, not a human," I berated myself, placing my hands on the wall. "All you have to do is go to Stine to see if he's awake," I encouraged myself. Then added, "Unless he is awake, that is." Taking steady steps, my shoes made soft thud sounds on the floor. I wonder if both of these people are heavy sleepers, sleeping like solid rocks.

Reaching his room, I saw that the door was halfway open. Entering inside, I made my way to his large, king size bed.

When I reached it, I struggled to climb up onto the mattress, letting out a frustrated hiss. I hate being three feet tall.

I tumbled back onto the floor when my shoes slipped, landing hard on my wooden bottom. I let out a grunt, holding back my angry screams of annoyance.

A short snore came from Stine. Looks like he's in a deep sleep. Dammit. I wanted to ask him something. Like take me to see Hazel. I know I said that I'll do it when she gets back here, which I'm guessing that this place is her new home, but... I'm nervous to be honest. Sorry isn't my kind of word. Doing evil things and scaring people out their skin is something for me to enjoy.

Thinking about my previous actions from the past, I realize what I had done was... terrible. I began hearing Hazel screams of agony when I latched onto her arm with my teeth, forcing her to drop the key out of her hand, and rip me off of her.

I saw the terrified look on her face as she staggered back away from me before she took off running to the school, possibly to look for my creator for protection. He did a pretty good job of keeping her safe from me, I have to give him credit for it.

I don't know why I yelled out those words to her, saying that when I bite, I marked her. Was it because I was trying to scare her? Turns out it did. She's scared and brave and smart at the same time. Makes me feel impressed about her.

She started panicking, seeing me for the first time as I looked at her, and she didn't want anybody to notice. Maybe she's one of those shy types of people who are afraid to speak up when something is wrong? I'm not sure...

I believe she has the fear of puppets, like me. It's not my fault for freaking her out. But I knew my mistake for what I had done to her. Now it may seem strange for me to know that she's been through a rough childhood for how smart I am, except it's not. Stine created me the way I am. None of his other creations are brainless and somewhat stupid. Not all of them talk, most likely to make different sounds to communicate.

I never wanted to see my allies again, betraying me like Stine did. He admits it was his own fault, leading me to be at rage of tears. I always thought evil things shouldn't cry until he said it was okay for me to feel the way I am right now.

Sadness.

Never in my evil times would I have this type of feeling in me. I felt drained; exhausted to where I wanted to lay on the floor.

Pushing myself up, I walked out of his room, avoiding the idea of sleeping in there. Plus, sleeping on the floor doesn't sound...comfortable, like a bed or couch.

I used my magic to close his door, thinking it'll be a good deed. I was written in a lot of books, being based around me. Only for some reason, I wouldn't be released, wondering what else is being free with me trapped inside my original manuscript now all burnt up from the match.

Was he trying to replace me? Well, he said he'll never replace me, explaining the reason why he created Hannah is because he wanted to be...more human.

It sounds ridiculous for him to say that. Obviously he is a human, but come to think of it, he meant that he wanted to be a human who's isn't a...freak for having monsters as his friends. I'm sure when he was a young kid, he never had _real _friends.

All humans who were children had something called imaginary friends. It's a normal thing for kids to have with parents having no problem.

Stine never told me about his parents nor his childhood. It was basically the same, getting picked on for not being to go outside. To me, it's the stupidest thing to tease someone like that. I may be a puppet, but I do know it is not right to do something horrible like those bullies did to him.

I stopped by Hannah's room, hearing soft snoring coming from the other side of her door, having me walk closer to it.

Without thinking twice, I teleported into her room. I saw she was fast asleep on her bed, a book laying next to her. I didn't care what the book was, all I care was for her to trust me. It wouldn't happen right away since I wanted her dead so she wouldn't see Zach nor her father.

Her room was dark, the moonlight streaking through the window, making shadows around the room.

Should I ask her to take me to the place where Hazel is at? Or does her father not let her drive?

Another soft yet gentle snore came through her. I bet she's a heavy sleeper, too. Best not to ask her at all. The only result I'll get is an angry yell to my ears.

The moonlight made my eyes flicker to it. It was very bright like the sun, hanging in the sky. It wasn't a full moon, it was a half moon.

As I walked over to the window, I saw some slim clouds brushing across the stars, twinkling like candles on a stick. Or more like birthday candles which you see on a cake to make a wish on them, seeing if it'll come true or not.

I wonder if I have a birthday… I thought to myself, placing my hands on the windowsill. Her bedroom faced the front yard of the house, the streets empty with no cars of any kind not passing by here. It's the middle of the night after all, and I bound that people are asleep at this time of night.

I closed my eyes, resting my chin on my fabric arms, going into deep thinking, wiping the things all around me. All I did was think, filling up my head with thoughts. Thoughts about what I did wrong. Is it wrong for me to go overboard with scares and pranks?

Can't believe I'm answering this, but yes, it was overboard. God! Why did do that!? It was so out of character for me! I was made to scare bullies away, not try and kill them by almost resulting them into a hospital! What kind of monster was I?!

Everything I have done to keep my creator safe and I blew it! I failed, failed horribly. He told me straight out the bat, explained to me what I had to do in order to keep him safe from those pests, reminding me of termites, those little bugs I disgusted most since they love the taste of wood, such as me.

I couldn't help myself then. My first reaction was to grab something from our very first kitchen from the very first home when I was first released from my book. I should've thought better than that, but what could I do? I saved Stine from those brutes who basically beaten him to the ground.

And you know what I got from him in return? Got yelled at. Yelled at from my best friend who I have always looked up to, and not in a literal sense.

It shocked me, even scaring me. Stine never yelled at me for anything. Everytime when I scare his so-called pests and enemies away, he'll reward me with something. Parents would give their kids a toy or some candy for their reward. The reward I'll get is to choose a board game or movie or TV show. I can't eat since I'm not...human.

What is it like to be a human? I wondered, opening my eyes open, the moon glimmering in my brown eyes, the reflection of myself looking right back at me.

I observed myself, definitely need to get repaired. I feel rubbish all thanks to those in the new manuscript who turned their backs on me.

Hey, it wasn't _my _fault for the hazel eyed girl to get away from me. It wasn't _my _fault for not being fast enough to get rid of my creator. It's wasn't _my _fault for Hannah getting free from the new manuscript.

I never knew I can feel pain when I was given my 'punishment'. The werewolf most likely gave me these hideous scars on my face while the others hit me, kicked me, and punched me. Fifi would actually sink her teeth into my fabric legs or arms.

Did I feel pain there? Of course! I'm made of wood, how couldn't I feel pain?!

The green liquid also started leaking out of my scars and when they finished with me. I struggled against Dr. Brewer's clone who can turn his limbs into vines hence from the nightmare I had the previous night and the ones from the Venus fly traps, adding in snaps from what would be their teeth for eating bugs.

I did manage to get free, but every time I try to get away from them, they'll end up finding me. It was then when I heard Stine's voice and, even though I never knew I'll say this, I screamed for him to let me out.

First of all, I was expecting him to ignore me like he had in the past, and I was heavily shocked when he saved me from his other creations who almost tore me apart.

I could've been turned into sawdust if it weren't for that geek. Yes, I called Stine a geek inside my head. I wanted to say it out loud, only I didn't want to wake Hannah up.

Hannah hates me to pieces ever since we saw each other face to face from the awkward silence, along with her friends and the one boy who she's close to.

Zach apparently wants to turn me into firewood in case I lay a finger on her, seemingly how much he cared for her, even though I don't know why he does . I don't understand why they're so close with each other, considering since I'm not into those kinds of things.

I have no idea what love is nor how to feel it. It's probably because I'm a wooden puppet who never felt any spark in my life. Besides, I'm an evil being. I was made to be this way, even though I went too far from my job.

Sighing, I pushed myself away from her bedroom window, wanting to get out of her room quickly to avoid making any noise besides my depressed breathing I keep letting out from my non-existing lungs.

The floor let out a creaking, groaning in pain like I was hurting it. I instantly stopped, frozen in place, waiting for her to wake up and see me, preparing my ears for her to scream for me to get out of her room. Hannah was right about her own room. It wasn't girly like most girls' bedrooms who'll paint their walls with brightly lit colors, streaming the room with different types of decorations. Her room, in this case, is more likely to fit with her personality.

After waiting for what seemed like hours, I continued my way towards her door, teleporting to the other side of it.

I stood there for a second, not sure what to do next. I looked up at the ceiling, seeing a rope that is too high for me to reach.

"I wonder what's in there..." I murmured in thought, gazing at it. I jumped with a raised hand, getting ready to grab the rope. I only jumped a few inches, unable to touch the high rope that is above me. Part of me told me I should wait another day for someone to get it for me, another part said to me that I should get back to bed. "Okay, one more try..." With a grunt, I made another jump, missed, falling onto the floor. I gasped when my sore body met with the floor, the scars increasing the pain.

I pounded my fists onto the floor in anger. Getting up, I brushed my suit down, smoothing it. I never wore anything else besides what I'm wearing now.

When the suit is completely smoothed out, I decided to explore the study. All I did was sat on Stine's large, leather chair for his return when my book got knocked down, discovering the lock being broken. I'm not sure if it was broken before or it was broken after my book got thrown to the ground.

Entering into the study room, my eyes glazed around. It was the same as always when I escaped from my manuscript for the second time. I glanced at the bookcase, not seeing the new one on there. Stine must've hidden somewhere in this house of his, fearing I'll end up opening it.

I'm never gonna see my allies and I don't care for them. They can suffer while I can be free from a place that I call hell.

Going over to his large desk, I placed my hands on the leather chair of his, hoisting myself up onto it. The chair felt very comfortable from being made of leather, making me wonder how much it cost for him to get this type of chair.

I was about to close my eyes to think about the good things that me and my creator had when I saw someone coming into the room.

With a quick reaction, I grabbed a hold of a pen, throwing across at the figure.

"Hey!" the voice exclaimed. "Slappy, stop that!" the voice demanded, sounding like a female. The lights flashed on, blinding my eyes for a second. "What are you doing up?" It was Hannah, her hand on the lights witch, right near the door.

"I was going to ask _you _the same question," I replied, regaining my eyesight. "What are you doing up?" I threw the question back at her.

"I heard footsteps," she explained, taking her hands off the light switch. "At first I thought it was dad until it was..." She directed her finger at me. "...you in here," she told me. "You're not causing any trouble...are you?" she asked with a suspicious look.

"No!" I quickly proclaimed. "I was minding my own business!" I answered, glaring right at her.

Hannah placed a finger onto her lips. "Hush. Do you want dad to wake up?" she spoke in a whisper. "He's a heavy sleeper from time to time, but sometimes he can wake to anything." Her eyes narrowed. "You're lucky he's in a deep sleep now," she said with a seductive tone, caring for her father, unlike me. "Besides, since you're not causing any trouble, what are you doing up anyway?"

"I told you, minding my own business," I responded with a care-to-less face. "I was in your room..." I had to admit.

Her eyes widen. "You were in my room?!" she cried out, feeling invaded by her privacy, and quickly covered her mouth, most likely not wanting to wake Stine up. "You were in my room?" she released in shock. "Why?"

I shrugged my shoulders, avoiding her glaring eyes. "...I don't know..." I mumbled. "I felt like it, I guess..."

"You invaded my privacy!" she fumed with tight fists at her sides.

"Oh, I'm _sorry _for going into your room without your permission," I snipped, blazing my eyes right back into hers. "I was looking out your bedroom window," I told her, explaining the reason why I was there.

Her eyes narrowed even more. "You could've waited until tomorrow."

"Why bother?" I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "You hate me like my stupid ass friends in the new book. I don't blame you for feeling the way your feeling now since your a girl," I offended.

"I don't hate you." My head lifted up to see her face softened up a bit with confusion. I opened my mouth to speak when she stopped me. "I don't hate you, Slappy," she spoke with some compassion.

"You..." I uncrossed my arms. "...don't hate me?" Now my eyes began to narrow with paranoia. "Or did you say that to make me feel better?"

"No," she shook her head. "I don't hate you. The only thing I'm having trouble with you is trust." She sighed. "Dad said I should give you a second chance, so I am."

"Gee thanks," I spoke with no meaning behind it. "Go away now," I shooed, motioning for to leave me alone.

She gave me one last look. Then she headed out of the study room, heading back towards her room. When she was gone from my sight, I used my magic to shut the lights off, the room being filled with darkness of depression. The feeling inside me... the one thing I thought I would never feel. I used to be so gleeful when I scare the bullies and brats away... I never had any kind of guilt when doing it to them, considering it was my job...

My job... I miss it already... I miss scaring the daylights of people... I miss seeing them run like...cowards...making me laugh my head off...

Now, being sad, really sad, the feeling of pure evil seemed to...disappear from me. More likely to die off.

Being in this state, my eyes began to brim with green liquid. I fought it back into me, refusing to start bawling during this time of night. I don't want to wake Hannah nor Stine, even though he told me it was okay to cry.

Never in my evil years would I get this type of emotion. A lot of the times I would feel pleased about myself, about my ego. I'm popular for God's sake, and no other monster has it but me. I've been written in many books based on me, but the only book I came out and got trapped inside is _Night Of The Living Dummy_.

Dummy... Thinking about the word made me hate myself. For the first time ever, I called myself one for being the...dummy who disobeyed my creator's orders of almost sending his former bullies to the ER, rather than scaring them off like I used to do.

These days I promise not to scare anyone again. I actually don't trust myself. What if Stine gave me my job back to protect him _and _his daughter? I'll just end up using a sharp weapon or something to use against the cruel people.

"Why did I do it? How could I let my scares and pranks get out of hand? Did my anger went off when I saw Stine getting beat up me made do it?" I tucked my knees up, folding my arms on the top of them, adding my head with it, my face looking down.

I stayed like that for awhile when I heard someone out in the hallway. I assumed it was Hannah, hearing her footsteps outside to the staircase. Only they stopped, retracting back to the study.

"Slappy? What are you doing up?" It was a new voice.

I picked my head up. "Stine?"

The lights switched on and this time, I closed my eyes right before he did it. When I opened them, I saw his hair, which is messed up from sleep, the night clothes were twisted, having him fix it to straightened out. His glasses weren't on his face properly.

"Your glasses are crooked," I stated, pointing right at them.

He chuckled. "I see," he lightly responded, adjusting them. "I was going downstairs to get some water," he told me, explaining. "When I didn't see you on the couch, I thought you'll be in one of the guestrooms." He chuckled again. "I wasn't assuming you'll be in my study." He frowned. "Why are you here, anyway?" he asked with a small tilt to his head.

"I don't know..." I merely shrugged shoulders. "I'm guessing I was here to...think of what I had done in the past. You know..." I looked at him. "For all the bad things I have caused. I know you said it was your fault for locking me up three times, but..." I flicked a lint off my trousers. "...the monster invasion is my fault. It's my fault for also hurting Hazel and trying to kill your daughter," I almost said with...some care in my tone of voice. "However," I continued. "I'm not sure how Hazel would react when I'm...ready to apologize to her."

"I'm not sure how she'll react," Stine spoke with full sympathy. "I do know is that she isn't cold hearted. She's a sweet, young lady. I see her like another daughter to me," he smiled. "Even so for you as my own son. You'll make a great big brother despite since you're only three feet tall." He slightly frown. "I was told by Hannah that the last place Hazel lived at was at her god family's home who treated her badly. They'll give her such a hard time, giving her..."

"Bruises?" I guessed without thinking twice.

Stine's eyes gave away a surprise look. "How did you know that?"

I dropped my arms to my sides, keeping my knees right where they are. "You wrote me in the way for me to be smart."

He blinked behind his glasses. "Oh," he realized. "I know I wrote to you in a way for you to be smart, but I never knew I written you to be _that _smart," he expressed out with a light vibe from him.

"Mm." I didn't return the same manner with a dead set look on my face. Instead, I stood up on the chair, almost falling off in the process as I carefully climb up onto his desk, sitting upon it like a throne from those kingdom movies. "You may think something like that, except it's true. You just didn't realize it when you wrote me," I somewhat conducted, tapping my wooden fingers against his wooden desk. "I used to sit on your desk all the time when you wrote a new _Goosebumps _story," I recalled the memories. "I'll even help you come up with good story plots for your new books."

"Oh yeah...!" Stine had to think about it for a moment. "I remember now. There was one time where I was trying to come up with a new story when you suggested I should write a book about an evil mask," he recalled the event. "But unfortunately...those books were already written, seeing since I wrote _sooo _many scary _Goosebumps _stories."

"Yeah, until you trapped me into a book when my scares and pranks went out of hand," I grumbled with crossed arms. "It's my fault for going too far with anything."

"And it's my fault for turning my back on you," Stine blamed with a nod of his head. "Basically, we're saying it's _both _our fault in different ways, huh?" he said.

"I guess..." I agreed, swaying my legs back and forth while they dangled from the edge of the desk.

Seeming to catch my glum mood, he spoke again. "You wanna watch another scary movie?" he asked with a small grin.

"We'll end up waking Hannah from her sleep," I remarked.

"It'll be fine. Besides, scary movies always cheered you up. If she does wake up, we can invite her to come and watch the movie with us."

"Yeah..." Using my powers, I teleported off the large desk. "Whoa..." I saw the walls spin.

"You okay?" Stine asked with general concern, seeing me place my hands on my face.

"I'm fine." The spinning of the room faded. "I'm fine, just fine," I muttered with somewhat annoyance inside of me.

"I _should _get you fixed up," he observed my marks and scratches, the concern from him not going away. "You...want me to carry you downstairs?" he offered.

I shook my head. "No..." I answered.

"Are you..."

"Yes! I'm sure!" I shouted out, getting more annoyed at his 'father' instincts. "I told you, I'm fine! Why can't you get it?!" I blared.

"Okay, okay. I was only asking, that's all." He raised his hands to show he has no rejection to the subject. "My daughter will tell me when she isn't feeling good and she let me take care of her like every normal day."

"Yep, seems like you had a swell time," I responded to his story in a sarcastic way.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "Just because you don't care for my daughter doesn't mean I can't," he told me.

"I didn't say that, I said that you had a swell time taking care of her," I corrected. "Oh, what's the use? She told me she doesn't hate me, but can't gain any trust from me. At all." Stine gave me a confused look so I explained. "She woke up to find me here in your study, wondering what I was doing up with me asking her the same question. And from what she told me, she said that you told her to give me a second chance."

"I did." Stine nodded his head. "She may not trust you yet, but she's willing to give you another chance. So far, you haven't done any damage."

"I can't since I don't know how to without causing trouble," I almost muttered and almost clearly for him to hear me.

"You'll figure it out how to real soon." He gestured hi hand for him to follow. "Let's watch another scary movie."

I ran my hand down my face. "Why not?" I finally agreed. "One more movie and then maybe I'll feel better despite the marks and scars all over me..." I began walking right past him, knowing he'll stick behind me in case I fall over or something, getting me annoyed of him watching over me like I was a child with the flu or a bad stomach bug.

The more he was keeping his eye on me, the more irritated I've become. So I decided to say something. "Stop following me…" I rasped with undelight fullness. "I can get to the stairs to the living room myself." I glanced behind my shoulder to see him stop in his tracks. "You're worried about me, aren't ya?" I said with a raised brow.

Stine sucked in breath, raking his fingers across his messy hair. "Uh..."

"I thought so," I stated, not giving him a chance to say anything else since I know what he's gonna say anyway. Plus, not wanting to keep on repeating it to him, I teleported into the living.

I don't want to be watched over like a little kid. I sat on the couch, crossing my arms in front of me.

"Geez..." I muttered. "He isn't gonna stop, is he? Just because he sees me as his own 'son' doesn't mean he has to keep me safe. I'm a monster for crying out loud!" With that, I waited for him without a care in the world.

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

After receiving the interruption from my creation, he quickly got away from me by using his teleportation skills, having me stand at the upstairs hallway for more than twenty minutes. I don't know what his deal is. Apparently, he's tired of me keeping an eye out for him like Hannah was when I did the same with her. How can I not, though? I let Hannah have her freedom, but I'm not as protective as before all thanks to the monsters. I keep my eyes on her from time to time, unlike every second of everyday until she got tired of it.

My hope is to make sure that me and him to have any more full, blown out fights like was had in the past. My anger doesn't cause him to have fear around me when I yell at him like when me and Hannah have our arguments where she'll tell me to calm down, not wanting to lose more of my temper… like it did when I _almost _put her back in her manuscript for her to never see Zach again in fear for him to find out who I was when I went with the name of Shivers when me and her first moved here in Madison, Delaware a few years ago back in twenty-ten; five years ago.

Throughout my sudden anger, I wasn't watching where I was going when I tripped over the lamp cord, having her scream in terror.

When Zach called the police on me, I had to lie, saying my daughter moved to London with her 'mother' and 'new husband', and the scream was from surround sound.

But then the boy heard footsteps coming from Hannah's room and of course, he started up the stairs, calling for her.

Luckily for me at least, the cops hauled him out the door with me just...smirking and waving at him as he was being taken away out of my house.

It was the first time someone called the police on me for 'child abuse' with the incidence happened several months ago, sounding like I was...hurting my own daughter.

I may started off as a sinister man who hates people, realizing it wasn't anybody's fault. It was my fault; my own fault. I used to hate the world, hate the people I live around in each place of the U.S. of every state me and my daughter move to, and we'll only live in those state for a short time, and the only way to make sure people don't know about my secret is to keep moving from one area to another.

It annoyed Hannah every time I say we're moving again after we settle into our new home. Now we won't have to do it anymore since it's our last time moving, deciding Madison, Delaware is the perfect place to live in after so many years of moving, simply because Hannah got tired of it, making up my mind for us to stay here.

Also, Zach's her boyfriend. I can't say no to that despite not being able to have one ever since I never leave her out of my sight, making sure she's safe from my overprotectiveness I once had with her.

Things changed after being like that; letting her...free to explore the world. I probably will take her to get driving lessons. I remember she'll beg me to take her to one, wanting to get her own car, her own driver's license.

My answer was always no, explaining to her there are drivers who don't follow the road signs unlike other drivers who pay attention to those types of things.

I'm still surprised when she told me and the boys that she drove a random car. Without a license! Then of course when she had to jump out of it to avoid the werewolf.

Good thing it didn't bite her... I taught her all about my monsters I've created, both their strengths and weaknesses. Gladly, she knew what's the werewolf weakness is: Silver. All werewolves dislike silver, making them feel burning sensation on their skin, having their fur sizzle from the 'heat' giving off from any type of silver they've come across.

Impressingly, she made a silver necklace by using silver chains which guys wear on their jeans to make them look 'cooler'.

When Slappy accused Hannah for being my favorite, I was...down; upset to be more exact... My soul literal broke into tiny pieces... like a broken glass... He believed since Hannah is my 'favorite', I had to 'replace' him for her.

The thing is, I would never replace him. Never. I tried to rewrite him back into the real world like I did with my daughter, only... I'll fail... Each book about him would have a different monster release... two of them not being very helpful to me the way I wrote them, being friendly towards the ones I call enemies... the one who's obsessed with Slappy, wanting to release him... the one that looks like Slappy, except he looks so similar to him, I forced myself to lock him away. That, and he reminds me of Slappy. The one who's his brother wasn't...friendly... He was cruel, demanding where his younger brother is, the hate rising in his chest... I remember it so clearly... He was angry and full of green envy when he wasn't released from the first book that Slappy was in, wanting to kill his brother. I had to lock him up before he could do...any harm to him... And of course there were other books based on Slappy, except he will not come out of the books unlike the first book.

There is a story I wrote where it has to do with puppets. Marionettes actually. They have something to do with the story because when I opened the book, they were released. But guess what? They too, took their scares way too far, almost hurting the bullies, including the other people who never bothered me. I had no other choice. I put them back in the book.

I'm not sure why different dummies, puppets, and dolls would come out of the new Slappy books. He only came out of the first one, even though he was barely in the first book.

To me, it didn't matter the first time. But after so many fails of trying to bring him back, I...gave up... The only creation I can, and only rewrite into the world for a second time, is Hannah...

Someday I'll tell Slappy about this. As for right now, I can't. He's angry at me and has trust issues. He's like Hazel in away. Something they have in common.

Trust issues.

They both have issues with trusting people. I know they'll both come around. Hazel wouldn't take long to start trusting me and her friends. Other people? I'm not sure about it. Slappy would take a lot longer to start giving trust to me, and basically the kids who helped me trap him and all of the monsters into the new manuscript, much to his anger.

Walking down the stairs, I saw him sitting on the couch, arms crossed over his chest with an angry impression with lowered eyebrows. It's the only way to read his feelings since he has a smile stuck on his face.

Entering into the living room, I approached him with caution before saying to him. I don't want him to start snapping out at me.

I then sat down on the couch, resting my elbow on the arm of the furniture, placing my hand on my forehead.

"I thought we're gonna watch a movie," Slappy spoke, interrupting my thoughts.

"Oh, um..." I replied, taking my hand away from me. "You can pick one; I don't mind," I shrugged without a care.

Slappy got off the couch with carefulness, going over to where the DVDs are. He pulled one out. "How about this one?" he asked, holding it out in front of him.

I gestured him to come forward. He rolled his with slight annoyance, walking up to me, handing me the DVD box.

Looking at it, I almost rolled my eyes. "_The Shining?" _I gritted, most likely with annoyance inside of me.

Slappy took the notice from me, having him raise one eyebrow. "Is there something wrong about it...?"

I shook my head. "No, there's nothing wrong about it. It's just..." Slappy waited for me to finish. "I don't like any of the movies based on Steve King's books," I truthfully shared with him. "I sold _a lot _more books then him." A proud smile formed on my face. "It looks like I beat the author, too," I put out.

"So...in other words... you don't want to watch the movie?" he inquired. He was about to take it away from me when I gripped it in my hand.

"We'll watch it. I mean, unless you changed your mind..." I waited for him to say something, gripping the DVD box.

"Let's watch it," he answered. "I'll put it in, too." He took the DVD and took the disc out, going over to the TV, setting it up. I watched carefully, making sure he's doing it right. He pressed the _open/close _button from the DVD player. The disc drive opened up, resulting in him getting hit on the nose. "Ow," he slipped out.

"You okay there?" I asked from behind him.

"Yes, Stine, I'm fine," he told me, not caring about my concern for him. He muttered something under his breath, and I might of heard what he said.

"What did you say? Speak up," I ordered lightly, avoiding to get yelled at from my creation.

Slappy let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing his nose like it still hurt. "You want to know what I said?" he responded back to me, his wooden brows lowering like he was challenging me or something.

I arched a brow. "Yes...?"

"You _really _wanna know what I said?" he questioned on.

"_Yes!" _I pressed out. "Tell me what you said, and it better not be a bad word," I warned, jabbing a finger right at him. "Better not be a swear word." I also gave him my warning look, too.

"Fine, I said I'm annoyed about your concern," he told me with lots of spare. "It ticks me off! I keep on telling you... I am not a child!"

When he yelled, it didn't frightened me. Not even his harsh glare would keep me away from him. Besides, nothing scares me at all. It's basically because I used to be sinister and anti-social with other people, refusing to go anywhere with anybody, knowing what they'll do next.

Not anymore. Since I'm dating Zach's aunt, she's been taking me out on dates, having me go to hangouts with her friends back in the days of high school like I never did when I was a teenager, sad as it seems, and from time to time, she'll come over to my house or I'll surprise her by dropping myself to her house, with flowers in my hands.

Thinking about her made me smile.

"Why are smiling like that?" Slappy questioned, seeming to be weirded out from my 'odd' behavior, breaking me away from my love in my head.

"O-Oh, um..." I stuttered with nervousness, rubbing the back of my neck. "I was smiling, knowing our relationship would heal at any time of any day."

Slappy quirked a brow. "Uh huh…" he deadpanned. I can tell he doesn't believe me. I can't tell him about Lorraine, the woman I'm with, fearing how he'll react.

Thinking about it now, I have to tell her about Slappy. Except I fear she'll leave me like my ex did years ago when I found out she cheated on me. I know Lorraine would not leave me, knowing she's a very understanding person who'd always listened to my stories when I was a kid, from a very young age to an adult that I am now.

To me, it felt crazy thinking about Lorraine breaking up with me. Whenever I start to feel angry or, in some cases, irritated, she would be the only one to calm me down in case I ever had a fit with something, even if something is small.

I hadn't returned the favor, making me feel some guilt inside of me. Knowing her, she doesn't mind. She's not the type of person who gets angry... Or does she? I know in all bets that she'll be frightened when she discovers him since I wasn't sure if she saw him in person. Unless she did, though...

Waiting for Slappy to put the disc in, I saw he was having trouble with it. He kept flipping the disc, figuring out how to place it within the DVD player. So I told him. "The one with the picture goes up, Slappy."

"Oh," he simply returned. "...Wasn't sure about it..." He put the disc on the slot, pressing the _open/close_ button. "Now what?" he turned to me and asked. "Do we sit through the previews and trailers for other movies again?"

"No," I answered, taking the remote into my hand. "We don't have to sit through all the previews and trailers. I can skip those until we get to the main menu." To demonstrate, I pressed my thumb on the _skip _button, skipping all the boring stuff. Slappy had his arms crossed, tapping his formal shoe. "It doesn't take long," I couldn't help but chuckle. He didn't reply or anything. All he did was tapped his shoe. "There," I announced, "we're at the main menu. Just let me go to settings..." Going there, I checked the settings for the movie, such as the length of the screen, language, and anything else to see what needs to be fixed. "Settings are good," I reported with a genual nod.

"Whatever, can we start the movie?" Slappy proclaimed impatiently. "I don't care what the settings are."

I pressed _play_, placing the remote on my lap. "Aren't ya going to sit with me?" I asked.

"Nope," he decline with a shake of his head. "I'll sit right here," he stated, plopping himself onto the floor with some teenage attitude. "I don't want you touching me..."

"That's okay," I respected. "Hazel doesn't like to be touched, either. Maybe while she's at the hospital, mental hospital, to be exact, she'll learn how to get used to physical contact. I'm not sure she'll get used to it right away whenever she gets home," I told him, cleaning my glasses, getting the specks of dust off the lenses.

"When will she be home?" The question came out of his mouth, having me pause at what I was doing.

I placed my glasses back on my face, pushing them up, looking down with my eyes. "I'm not sure..." I shrugged my shoulders. "She's being kept an eye on for suicidal watch..." I looked up to see a shocked look on my creation's face. "Slappy? Are you alright? You look..."

"Y-Yeah, I am." He picked at his laces on one of his formal shoes. "Why did she do that?" The look never left his face, his brows way up on his forehead. It didn't change his scratched up appearance he holds now.

Again, I shrugged. "Probably she's tired of not being able to...be happy," I simply guessed. "I'm sure about you, but everyone else wants to see her...smile... The last treatment she took did do well... Then... they stopped working."

"Hazel's a brat, that's why her last treatment stopped working."

"Slappy!" I scolded, sending him mad eyes.

He flinched at the tone I gave him. "Sorry," he mumbled, loud enough for me to hear him. "I...shouldn't have said that." He got up from the floor, making his way to the couch. With some struggling, he pulled himself onto the furniture at the other end, far from me.

Frowning, I reached over, grabbing him, lifting him up.

"Hey-! What are you-" he started to protest. "Put me down!" he commanded orderly.

Ignoring him, all I did was place him next to me. "I want you to get used to being touched, too."

"By grabbing me!?" he angrily blazed with a hard, terrifying glare. "I don't want to be touched by you or any other human on this planet!" he snarled.

"All I did was put you next to me." I raised both my hands to show him what I meant. "See?" I said. "I don't have your hands on you. And don't shout," I added, glancing at the stairs and back at him. "I don't want Hannah waking up."

"I don't want Hannah to waking up," Slappy mocked disrespecting my wish. "Hannah, Hannah, Hannah, that's all you care about!" he yelled in a loud voice.

"Shh, quiet," I shushed, trying to calm him down. "I care about everyone."

"Sure, you do." He rolled his eyes in disbelief.

"I do," I insisted, keeping it down. "I used to not care for anybody else other than my daughter... but I changed big time after the monster invasion in this town."

"Great for you," he spoke with lots of sarcasm. "You know, it was fun when it's only you _and _me before _she _came into the picture," he said.

"Sounds like you're green with envy..." I confirmed.

"I'm not green, stupid," Slappy spitted.

"No, green with envy means you're jealous," I explained with a short chuckle. "It's also okay to feel that way, too."

"Hmph," he huffed, looking straight at the movie. "Will Hannah get 'green with envy' when she sees you with me?"

I drummed my fingers on the arm of the couch. "I don't think so… She's not the type to be jealous."

"She's a type of person to hate me," Slappy remarked.

"Slappy, she does not hate you. She just needs to get adjusted by you," I said for the hundredth time.

He let out a scoff. "Yeah, right."

"She-" I was about to argue when I heard my daughter upstairs.

"Dad? Is everything okay down there? What are you doing anyway?" She made her way down the stairs as she asked. When she got to the living room, her eyes landed on Slappy who looked right back at her. "You look creepy with all those marks on you," she commented, though she showed nothing to him.

"Thanks," he snarked.

Hannah turned to me. "Why are you up?" she asked.

"Why are _you _up?" I repeated the same question.

"I heard you and Slappy bickering," she told me, gesturing her head towards the top of the stairs. "I was already awake when I woke up from him," she pointed at Slappy, who returned a cold look. "So...why are you two bickering?" she questioned, playing with her bed hair.

"We weren't bickering, we were arguing," he corrected matter of factly, the cold look not lifting away from him.

"It's the same thing," I said, leaning towards him, speaking into his ear. All he did was shove me away, scooting away from me. "Ow..." God, he's so strong, his shoving gives me pain, having me rub my cheek.

At least he didn't punch me.

I looked over at Hannah. "You should go back to bed, sweetheart," I advised.

"Can't," was all she gave me.

"Well, why don't you join us?" I looked over at Slappy. "Can she?" I requested.

Avoiding to argue away from me, he teleported to the love sofa in front of the living room window. "At least I won't have to be near you _and _Hannah," he conceded, laying down, his eyes on the movie.

"Just ignore him," I advised her when she came over and sat down next to me. "He'll adjust to you sooner or later."

"It's not gonna happen!" Slappy proclaimed, turning his body, his face now directed at couch wall. He didn't pay any attention to the movie. As for myself, I wasn't paying attention to it, either. Neither was Hannah. She kept her angry expression on him, like she wanted to chop him up as if he was some sort of tree. "Also, why bother?" he added in. "Hannah's too nice to everyone simply because you-" He faced us, mostly at me, with a dark look. "-made her the way she is now! You're a horrible father, Stine! You're a horrible friend to me!" Hannah and I watched with wide eyes of shock and surprised. He jumped off the love sofa, snatching up one of the pictures off the walls with his magic. The picture of me and him... way before my daughter came into existence. "You shouldn't _**ever **_put me back on a shelf for me to rot in hell! You _were _my best friend! I called you papa! But nooo!" He rolled his eyes, raising the picture over his head. "You have to be so selfish! You only care about _her_, all because she's not made out of wood or anything!" Both of us saw green tears emerging in his eyes. "I... _wish I wasn't around anymore!" _

To show his point, he threw the picture at the wall with all his might. Hannah let out a scream when it hit the wall, glass shattering everywhere onto the floor.

I looked towards Hannah, who wore a terrified look, paralyzed with fear... not being able to move... My brows lowered at him. I got up from the couch, marching towards Slappy.

"Hey!" I grabbed a hold of his arm when he let out a protest, dragging him into the dining room.

"Sit down," I sternly ordered, directing my finger on one of the chairs. I was expecting him to argue with me, but instead he did what he was told. "You shouldn't have said what you shouted," I began to scold him with authority.

"You're not the boss of me!" he growled, turning his attention away from me like a stubborn child would do to their parent or guardian.

"I'm an _adult _and it's my house." I crossed my arms over my chest. "You need to stop with the behavior or else I'll put you back in the manuscript with all the monsters in it," I stated.

"No!" A terrified look came upon his face, his brows way up on his head. "Anything but that!" he protested, putting his hands in front of him. "Please, Stine," he pleaded. "Don't put me back in hell of paper and ink. I...was upset for what you said to Hannah."

My face softened up. "What did I say to make you feel the way you are now?"

"You know, how I can 'adjust' to her," he quoted with his fingers. "Stine, she can't even adjust to me. How is this going to work?" he questioned.

"It takes time," I told him. "All you have to do is prove to Hannah and Hazel, whenever she gets home, to show that they can trust you."

"The same with the kid next door?" he included, referring to Zach.

"Even Champ and my girlfriend," I added.

"Girlfriend?" he spoke in an unbelievable tone.

"Um..." My face turned red. Oh boy, better say this carefully. "I'll tell you who she is another time," I decided, thinking it was the best thing to do. "Besides." I let out a yawn. "I need my shut eye before I go to work."

Slappy got up from the chair. "I'm not tired..." Except a yawn escaped from his mouth. "Okay, maybe a little tired," he confessed.

I let out a short, small laugh. "Even evil things can be tired." Frowning I tilted my head. "Are you sure you don't want to get fixed up...? I mean, you'll feel a lot better if you-"

He cast a sharp look. "I said I'm fine!"

"Well..." I started. "Alright, alright," I gave up. "You can tell me when you want to get fixed up. Your choice, and your choice only," I told him.

"Sure," he decided to agree to the option I gave him. "I'm going to bed." With that, he walked out of the dining room. "Uh... Goodnight...Hannah," I heard him say, doing his best to sound...friendly.

I waited for her to reply. It took a little bit for her to say, "Night, Slappy." She then added, "Please, don't come into my room without my permission." I wasn't so sure, but I can't tell if she said it nicely. Knowing her, she's very kind and lovable, so in my guess, she probably didn't want to start getting onto his bad side, like I have from time to time.

I made my way back to the living room, seeing Hannah laying down on the couch, eyes on the movie.

"Do you want to finish the movie before you go back to bed?" I asked, making my way over to her.

"Why not?" she answered, sitting up.

"I can restart the movie for ya," I offered as I sat down next to her. The movie was already halfway to being over, which I thought was a pretty good idea for me to just start the movie all over again. To be honest, I haven't been paying any attention to it when I was chatting with Slappy. I'm not sure if he was paying any attention to the movie, either. "Do you want me to start the movie at the beginning?" I said, awaiting for her to speak.

"I have seen this movie a bunch of times, dad," she spoke with a smile. "I have seen _all _the horror movies that you and me watched. No need to start at the beginning," she declined.

I nodded. "Alright." I sat down as me and her finished watching the movie. When it was over, I took the DVD out, placing it back in its box, putting it away where the other DVDs are at. "You know, Hannah, I wasn't sure if you told Slappy goodnight in a nice way." The look she gave me was a baffled one. "I'm only saying," I said, hoping to get the look off her face. "It sounds like you were nice, but knowing how you didn't like him being out of the manuscript, it seemed like you were pretty much ticked off."

"I was ticked off; angry for you doing such a thing," she replied slowly. "Like you said, it'll take me time to adjust to him. I did say what I said nicely, avoiding to get on his bad side...like you have when we argue with each other..." Drumming her fingers on the couch, she seemed to be in deep thoughts. It was as if she was thinking about something. "What would happen if he doesn't...change?" she finally spoke with question. "I know you want to reform him and all that, but the thing is..." Letting out a sigh, she gazed up at me with a sad look. "...I don't believe it. He hurt you and Hazel, and it doesn't seem like he feels bad about what he did."

I sat down, bringing her close to me. "I know it's hard to believe..." I understood. "But he'll change someday. So far he didn't do anything stupid," I chuckled, wanting to see a smile from her.

She gave me a tiny smile, adding with a shake of her head. "Yeah... he didn't," she simply agreed, shrugging her shoulders.

"If he keeps it that way, I'll keep him out of the new manuscript for a long, long time. Maybe he'll be a great sibling for you and-" I immediately stopped myself, and she seemed to notice.

"And?" Hannah tilted her head with curiosity.

I was silent, the only sound I'm hearing right now. No way I'm gonna tell my plan yet. It'll have to wait, and I want to keep it as a surprise, too.

"Dad?" Snapping out of my trance, she got my attention. "Are you okay?" she asked with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine. I was thinking," I assured her. "About Slappy." Still not going to tell her about my plan... Besides, it wouldn't be a surprise when I do tell her about it, right? "Why don't you go back to sleep?" I suggested, looking at the clock. "I don't want you sleeping in school."

"I don't want that to happen." Agreeing with me, she stood up. "Goodnight, dad. Again." With a hug, she made her way upstairs, proceeding to her room.

Hearing her bedroom door closed, I too, went to my room. Knowing how tired both me and her will be tomorrow, I made coffee before going back to my bedroom for the next day, which apparently, is today. It's literally two in the morning; the sun not being up, the town being surrounded by stars in the night sky.

I laid down, removing my glasses in the process, my vision becoming a blur without their relyment. Everything I look at looks like a smudge or something, having me squint my eyes a few times to know what I'm staring at. I also have to wear them when I read a book or a newspaper.

My eyelids felt like boulders, forcing them down towards my bottom lids of my eyes.

Deciding to let them win, I shut my eyes, wanting to get more sleep in before my alarm goes off, awaiting to start the job I love of all time.


	28. Chapter 28: Soft Spot Inside Me

**Chapter 28: Soft Spot Inside Me**

* * *

**Slappy**

* * *

The next day, I woke up late. I wasn't sure what time it was, but I didn't care. I know Stine left the house because when I looked out the window, his car was gone, leaving me by myself in the house, the sun at the top of the sky.

Placing my hand on the glass, I watched the other adults doing there afternoon routine from doing garden work to relaxing and reading on their porches, minding their own business. They seem to be happy, too.

Getting away from the window, I carefully made my way to the kitchen, taking slow, steady steps in order not to fall on the floor.

Good thing Stine said I have a choice for me to get fixed up or not. To be honest... he was right about me, needing to get me all fixed up in order to get me to feel better. The marks don't suit my personality in anyway possible.

Ugh… It's all the monsters fault. I don't blame Stine anymore for a quick change. All of my allies betrayed me for being 'slow'. So what? I'm only three feet tall. It's not like he's going to turn me into a human or anything. It'll be...interesting... But I don't think he has the time to do that sort of thing for me.

Also, it has to add into the fact to where I have to be put back in the new book, in a way for him to make me human. I rather stay the way I am to avoid more injuries for those who followed my lead.

Feeling betrayed isn't fun. It makes you not want to trust anybody, knowing what'll happen next if you try to say something. For me, I personally believe I'm being hated by Hannah, even though she said she didn't. How can I be sure about it? She never liked me for a start, like a certain someone who hated my guts. It's better not to say his name because it gives me...goosebumps thinking about him. And it's not Stine. It's someone else I dreaded for.

Arriving into the kitchen, I saw the dishwasher filled with dishes, unclean and unwashed. So thinking it was a good idea, I decided to start the dishwasher. Maybe it'll keep me out of trouble...? I don't know. I never did good things, never helped someone.

Don't get me wrong, I helped Stine scare is bullies away from his property. It was the best job I ever had. Except, I took my scares and pranks way too far from beyond then I should do. We both blame ourselves for different reasons.

Dragging myself to the dining room, I watched my shoes taking me to the room, one of them being untied. I didn't care; didn't care at all. I'll fix it later. No need to stop to tie my shoe.

"Whoa!" I let out a cry when I tripped, stepping on one of my laces, landing face first onto the floor, right close to the dining room. Muttering under my breath, I pushed myself up, smoothing down my tux. "You need to be more careful, Slappy..." I told myself. "Quit being a klutz." Scolding didn't help at least once. It only made me feel worse about who I am.

I know who I am. I'm a monster, not a good guy. Stine says I can be one as long as I keep myself together. I'm not sure how to do it, but it seems like I am. I haven't caused any trouble, haven't broken anything except for what I did last night.

I felt somewhat bad for scaring his daughter. I don't know why I threw the picture of me and him against the wall, having the glass break into pieces.

I didn't like the way he pulled me into this room, grabbing me without permission. Besides, I already hated being touched by him and others ever since what happened to me... It makes me feel...upset...

I can't blame him for scolding me. The truth is, I may not be a child, but... I'm afraid of getting people; humans, to trust me. Nobody is gonna trust a creation like me to help others. However, Stine said I'll be a great older brother, despite the things I've done in the past.

The thing is, I don't see myself as a sibling. I mean, I do have two siblings... Unless I'm wrong... Just because I'm older doesn't necessarily mean I want a sibling.

Not wanting to be in this room for more than five minutes, I trudged my way to living room, walking up the couch near the window. Grabbing the edge of it, I forced myself onto it, catching my balance.

Putting my hands on the windowsill, I looked at the outside world. I forgot how...beautiful outside can be. Of course, the weather can't be always nice. Every now and then, it has to send down rain water, giving water to the plants who are now being warmed up by the sun. I do say some patches of snow sparkled on the grass like diamonds and gems, glinting from the rays of sun.

It did not make me feel any what better. Snow isn't very exciting... One day it'll know, the next few days, it'll be washed away; gone. I never go outside when it snows. Never. Too cold for me since I wear nothing but a tux with trousers

"Hello?" A sudden knock came through the front door, followed by a voice. Great, who is it? "Anyone home?" the voice called in, sounding like a male. I didn't answer the door, keeping low on the couch in hopes the person would not look into the window. "Huh, guess nobody is home. Oh well, I'll leave the package here." Package? "The guy is probably at work," the man from the other side of the door assumed.

Waiting for him to leave, my ears picked up on his footsteps, leaving the area. When he was gone, I let out a breath of relief. "Good thing he didn't spot me," I spoke softly. Now, he did say he has a package… I should bring it into the house.

Getting off the couch, I made my way to the door, jumping at the knob, only to miss it.

Trying again, my fingers brushed it, failing me. I kicked the door with frustration. "Stine can get it himself," I stated. Walking away from the window, I went to the other couch, the one facing the TV. I want to watch another movie, but I don't want anyone in the neighborhood to hear it.

Flopping myself onto the cushion, I beat my fist onto it, feeling angry for an unknown reason. I don't know why, I just am.

I felt like an idiot for what I had done, disobeying Stine when he told me not to send the people he hated into the hospital. I should have known not to do such a thing, except for giving out scares, lots of scares.

I'm a failure, a complete failure. I don't why I used a knife to keep the bullies away from my creator, whom I look up to, in a not so literal sense.

Sitting up, I decided to watch some regular TV. I don't care for those who are outside would hear the TV on. Best to do it anyway for those not to come to the door. Besides, I need time to think alone, needing to clear my wooden head.

Grabbing the remote that Stine left on the couch, I looked at all the different buttons, one of them being red with the word _power _on it. Pressing my thumb on it, the television came on, the loud, blasting sound coming through it.

With a startled move, I quickly fumbled with the remote, seeing a button reading _volume _with two arrows. One pointing up, the other pointing down. From my guess, the one pointing down is to turn the volume to a lower sound.

Putting my thumb on it, I turned it down until the blaring volume was down enough where it didn't hurt my ears.

"Phew," I expressed, wiping my forehead like I was sweating. "Glad I turned the TV down." Looking at the screen, I saw some sort of show with animals on it. Baby ones of kittens on there in front of me. "What's this show?" I wondered out loud. Looking down, there's a button with the word _guide _on it.

Curiosity got the better of me, wanting to know what this button can do. I pushed it down, seeing a list of shows and channels, one of them being _Animal Planet_ and the show I'm seeing, which is being highlighted is known to be _Too Cute_. Blah… For being made out of wood, I can't stick my tongue to show how...how...how...

"Awww." I couldn't help it, I had to release it. Seeing the kittens on there made me feel… good? Is that the right word for this show? I'm not sure... I mean, I have never seen anything cute in my entire life. I'm more into creepy stuff, like horror movies and whatnot.

But I couldn't take my eyes off the show... I decided to watch it, wanting to know what else comes on after this one, and maybe I'll figure out how to switch to another channel to a much scarier one.

Dropping the remote next to me after I went back to regular screen, I continue watching the kittens, listening to the narrator of this...adorable show. I couldn't help but laugh when two kittens in the group let out these noises, sounding so squeaky and so...cute.

No wonder why the show is called _Too Cute_. It makes me want to...melt away.

"They're really adorable," I gawked.

That's when the front door open, having me to look who came in, thinking it was a robber. Only to my relief, it was Stine and Hannah, who has the package in her hands from outside.

"Hey, Slappy," Stine greeted, shutting the door behind him, placing the briefcase down near the wall.

"Hey...?" I greeted back with confusion. "You're...home early," I remarked, looking at the clock.

"I know, but the school had a gas leak so all of us had to come home early," he explained, getting my attention back to him. "Say," he observed the television, "what are ya watching there?"

"A show..." I mentioned under my breath, hoping he wouldn't laugh at me for watching something like this.

He chuckled at my answer, but not chuckling at me before speaking again. "I know you're watching a show, I wanted to know what the show is called."

Sighing, I crossed my legs together, answering his question in a rather soft, raspy voice I had always held inside me. "..._Too Cute..._"

"_Too Cute_?!" Hannah stopped midway from the steps, hurrying them back down them. "Did you say you're watching _Too Cute?!_" she squealed, placing the box the coffee table. "It's one of my favorite _Animal Planet _shows," she gleamed with happiness.

"...Really?" I responded, being odded out by her new behavior, seemingly to be new guy to see it for the first time. I was starting to get used to her not adjusting to me. I've never seen her like...this before.

"Oh, um." She cleared her throat, regaining her control. "I've seen this episode before," she clarified without hesitation, sending me a serious look, getting rid of the joyous one she had held.

I didn't respond when both our ears heard the sound of ringing, indirecting towards one of Stine's pockets.

"Your phone's ringing, dad," Hannah informed with an obvious statement.

I was about to tell her how dumb she was for telling him that, only for Stine to speak before me. "I see..." With a chuckle, he pulled his phone out from his right pocket, looking at it. His eyes widen, a smile spreading across his face, and he began walking out of the room. "Hello?" we both heard him answer. "Hi there, sweetheart!" I suddenly heard him say in a...lovable tone.

Sweetheart? Who in the world is he talking to? I went to go check it out when I felt a hand on my shoulder, having me force it away from me to realize it was Hannah, who is shaking her head, giving me one word. "No."

"No?" I withdrew. "What do you mean no?" I asked with an annoyed expression. Nobody ever told me no in my life; my entire life.

"Because," she gave out a short and submitted answer.

"Because...?" I wanted her to continue what she needs to say next. The only thing I got from her was silence between us. I guess she thought I don't need to know who Stine is talking to, leaving me more puzzled and curious.

Hannah opened her mouth to reply, but snapped it shut when Stine enter the room, the phone in his hand. Hannah spoke towards him.

"Who called?" It looked like she wanted to know, her attention at him, simply ignoring me.

"My...special someone," he answered with a funny smile on his face. Something was up with this man... "She called me, wanting me to come over to my house." He chuckled. "I was lucky for the school to let out early." He swept his hand over his slicked-back hair. "I just need to get change and I'll be off to her place." Turning around, Stine made his way upstairs, leaving me with Hannah who played with her hair.

The room filled with silence. The only sound I was hearing is the TV in front of me. The show wasn't on anymore, taking a commercial break, showing adds and whatever else the screen has on. The silence almost seemed to make me hear her breathing. Creepy… I decided to break the awkward moment.

"How are you?" I tried my best to be friendly as I asked her.

"...Fine." Her answer was short, her direction away from me. "Why'd you ask?" she responded with a dull tone, clearly not in the mood to speak to me.

"I don't know," I replied, looking down at my shoes, messing with my laces, fiddling with them. "What's in the package?" I asked, changing the subject.

Again, her answer was short. "Stuff." It seems like she...

"Alright, behave while I'm out," Stine said, cutting the stillness. "I'll be back in several hours," he told us.

"Okay, dad." Hannah grinned, giving her father a hug. "Have a nice day with your girlfriend," she wished happily after she pulled away. "I'll carry my stuff to my room." Picking up the box from the coffee table, she proceeded up the stairs to her room.

When she was gone, Stine turned to me. "I want you to be on your behavior. No causing trouble in this house," he strictly said.

I rolled my eyes in reply. "Please, Stine. I won't _ever _cause any trouble. I'm gonna sit here and wait for you to get back to where you're going to." My brows lowered. "Just who is this 'sweetheart' anyway?" I questioned suspiciously.

His face turned pale. "Uh..." His eyes darted around the room. "Oh, look at the time, I better get going," he quickly proclaimed. He started towards the door, stopped, and faced me. "I'll tell you who she is," he promised. Then added, "See you later." Grabbing the doorknob, he opened the door, walking out to his car, leaving me there in confusion and, in some sense, disappointed when he didn't give me a forward answer.

I sat there doing nothing, glancing at the TV every now and then. The show I've been watching got boring pretty quick, so I decided to see Hannah, wondering what she has in the box. Saying the word 'stuff' doesn't necessarily my question.

Lazily, I made my way up the steps with caution, fearing I'll slip or fall, all thanks to these damn marks on my face, making me feel like rubbish. Stine was right...I do need to get fixed up. However, I doubt he knows anybody who can fix me up.

At least he gave me permission on when _I _wanted to be repaired. I don't know when, though, but it could be early. Unless he got me fixed up before I even knew it.

Her bedroom door was closed when I reached her room. Picking up my fist, I gave it a few knocks. I want to try and be as nice as possible. I rather not give her a bad rap.

It took a minute for her to answer the door. "Yes?" she inquired, eyebrows slightly raised. "What do you want?" It didn't come off negative from what I was expecting. I was almost too scared to ask her what was in my head. She seemed to pick up on it, bringing the door a lot wider. "You wanna come in...?" she kinda nervously asked, almost like she was about to slam the door in front of me.

Shocked, I stepped into her room. "Thanks," I proceeded to say, my eyes wandering around the room. I don't think I ever say her entire room. "So..." I dug my toe into her carpet. "What was in the box?" I wanted to be nice by asking her simple questions.

"Things for my room," she answered. "I wanna...spice it up a bit." She gestured at her new items. "I may not be on the girly side, but I don't mind decorating my room," she said with a small smile.

"Uh huh," I returned uninterested. I made my way over to her window, placing my hands on the windowsill. "It's raining..." I announced simidily. Rain water hit the window pane, streaking down. I can hear the drops smacking the ground, making the grass wet and shiny, like a new, glass bowl.

"I saw the weather on my phone." This time, I was confused, having me turn my head, facing away from the window with one brow up, the other down. "I have a weather icon to show me what the weather is going to be," she explained.

"Uh huh," I repeated. I didn't care about the weather. All I care about is...myself. I know it sounds selfish, unable to not think the way I'm thinking, now with me out of the new book. "What is the new book titled called?" I wondered softly for Hannah not to eavesdrop me.

"Did you say something?" Guess I wasn't quiet enough... Damn. "What did you say?" Not answering her, all I did was shrugged my shoulders, analyzing the falling water. "Are you asking what the new book is called?" I didn't know what to say... feeling extremely embarrassed for her to hear what I had said. "You don't need to know what the book is called," she told me, taking an object out of the box. "Hmm..." she thought to herself. "Where should I put this vase?" She looked around. "I'll put it right..." She went over to an empty table. "Here." Setting the vase down, she made sure it was on the middle. She turned to me. "You like it?" she asked me, this time her voice filled with kindness.

"I'm not into decorating," I shared honestly, my mind trained on the rain, plastering onto the window. "And forget about what I said before," I added. "I don't need to know what the new book, the one where Stine trapped all the monsters, including you and me, is called. I rather find out for myself."

"You're not letting out any monsters from the new manuscript, _are you?_"

"_Me? _No, no, no. Of course not."

"Uh huh," Hannah merely mentioned skeptically to my words.

"Seriously, I'll never open any book ever again," I included, leaving her to study me, like I was something she wouldn't want to see. "Eh, heh, heh," I laughed nervously, noticing her disbelief hitting me back.

"Slappy, it's great to hear you say that, but at the same time... it's hard to believe you," she said truthfully. "It'll be even harder for Hazel to believe you, too," she also included into the conversation.

"Hazel?" I cringed at hearing her name. "Why bring her into this?" I rudely responded. "It'll be hard for me-" I pointed at myself "-to keep my promise."

"Like apologizing to her?" she answered with another question.

"Yeah," I nodded. "What happens when I _do _say sorry to her? Will she toss me into a bonfire like I tried doing to you?"

"Okay, first off she'll never throw you into a bonfire, and two, don't ever mentioned what happened in the new book we were trapped in. I don't want to think of what happened to me in the new manuscript." I quickly cast her a dirty look. "Oh!" she added. "And what those monsters done to you." I rolled my eyes as she scanned me from head to toe. "You do look bad..." She gave me a look of concern. "Are you sure you don't want to be fixed right now?" she asked with worry.

"Look, Hannah." I kept my voice calm. "Stine says I can get fixed whenever I want, okay?" I turned away from her, making my way to her bed. I grabbed the mattress, hoisting myself onto it. Or at least tried too. "Ow!" I ended up falling onto the floor. Before I tried again, I felt hands, gentle hands, go around my midsection. I would've reacted, but I decided not to.

No need for her to get mad at me... She set me on the bed, having my feet dangle at the edge of it. I only said one word and one word only. "...thanks." It wasn't a cruel way of saying it, but it seemed nice enough for her to give me a soft smile.

"You're welcome," she grinned in return. "I didn't want you to get frustrated, so... I decided to help you, despite you being a monster..." She trailed off, unable to finish.

"I know I'm a monster..." I sighed, controlling my voice, keeping it clear for her to understand me. "...and I might have a soft spot inside me... I just..." I took a deep breath, refusing to get teary-eyed.

"Just?" Hannah waited for me to continue.

I clenched my scared-up hands around the blankets, gritting my teeth together. "...need time," I experated.

"Time?" My head looked up to see a confused look on her face. "Why do you need time?"

"Time to think of the things I've done from the past," I muttered, feeling disgusted about myself, like I hated myself. "You know? For the things I've done. I'm a...dummy," I criticized.

Hannah blinked. "I thought you hate being called the D word."

"I do!" I half replied in an almost dead tone. "Right now _I'm _calling myself one. Besides..." I grumbled. "I made a mistake. A _huge _mistake."

"Like releasing the monsters into the real world and hurting my father and Hazel?" Hannah guessed. I nodded, picking at my trousers. "Everyone makes mistakes," she passionately told me. "I made a mistake when I opened up the _Ghost Beach _manuscript after dad created me about a minute or two ago. It was a time where I was a ghost before I can age." She flicked her hair behind her ear. "Everyone makes mistakes, Slappy. Mistakes happen all the time, and you cannot blame...well... you are to blame when you _almost _destroyed the town," she slightly said with edge.

"You're welcome," I couldn't help but to say back sarcastically, putting no meaning behind it.

Squinting her eyes at me, she tilted her head at me, unimpressed. "You don't need to speak to me like the way you're speaking now," she dulled out.

Again, I gave her a sarcastic answer. "Why? I'm a monster. I can speak this way, so too bad for you."

"Ugh." She let out a groan when we both heard a knock on the door. "I'll get it," she volunteered. She got up from the bed, heading down the steps to the front door, leaving me behind.

Typical.

I got off the bed, making my way to the front door. And the first thing I saw was him. The Zach kid. He was smiling sweetly at Hannah, who gave him the same grin while he just...played with her hair, having her let out a giggle.

"Would you like to come in?" Hannah stepped back and asked nicely. Why is she acting like that?

"Are you sure Stine can trust you to let a boy in the house without his supervision?" Zach chuckled humorously. This is weird and awkward to watch... "I don't want him to get ticked off for letting a stranger into the house," he spoke.

"You're not a stranger, Zach," she replied, wiping his shoulder like he had some dirt on it. "I'll call or text my dad. Come in," she then invited.

While I watched, he stepped into the house before turning his direction towards me. "Oh... It's you again." The way he said it made me narrow my brows right back at him. "I'm surprise Stine nor Hannah didn't turn you into firewood," he mentioned heartlessly.

"Zach!" Hannah scolded, lightly hitting his arm.

"What?" he questioned with a shrug of his shoulders.

Hannah didn't answer, pulling him into the dining room where I followed them, but stayed hidden, listening to every word I'm hearing.

* * *

**Zach**

* * *

I sat in my room on my bed, a book in my lap. No, it wasn't _The Hobbit_, in case you were wondering because I already read the chapters I needed to read for homework. The book I have with me is one of my favorites. It's a _Goosebumps _book titled _Say Cheese And Die! _Basically, it's my favorite one, and I have to admit, I read the books when I was a kid, but I stopped reading them when I was in middle school, about twelve years old.

But since the author of the books lives next door to me, I thought it wouldn't hurt to read one of them.

Of course, I was surprised they stayed in good condition; no tears or creese marks, after I hauled the large box into my bedroom. I don't have a bookcase or shelves. Mom has one, except it completely filled with her books.

I never told Hannah, Champ, nor Hazel about it. I guess I lost interest in these books ever since dad died, having me focus on other things, such as helping mom around the house which I still do.

Right now, I have the book set in my lap, closed, keeping my thumb on the page I was on. I felt like seeing Hannah. I can finish this book later.

Place the book down on my bed and hoping my mom doesn't know that I'm starting to read these books again, I made my way out of the room and down the steps.

Mom is out doing errands, giving me a chance to see my girlfriend. Not like I wasn't allowed to, but it wouldn't hurt to stop by at her place.

Going up to her home, Stine's car wasn't on the driveway. Maybe he went out to do errands too.

I went up to the front door, knocking on it. And when it was open, the first thing I saw was her beautiful appearance, having me make a large smile.

We didn't say hi or anything since we both locked eyes right at each other, but we knew what we were thinking.

Hannah released a giggle when I messed with her hair, picking it up and letting it fall back down. I actually like girls with long hair. Especially when it's soft after when it's showered, like hers, invading my nose with a sweet smell of watermelon shampoo.

She took a step back from me, letting me stop fooling around with her dark, brown hair. "Would you like to come in?" She gave me an inviting grin.

I chuckled in a humorous way. "Are you sure Stine can trust you to let a boy in the house without his supervision? I don't want him to get ticked off for letting a stranger into the house."

"You're not a stranger, Zach," Hannah told me, wiping my shoulder with her hand, like she was smoothing the part of my shirt. "I'll call or text my dad. Come in," she repeated her invitation.

Stepping into the house, I didn't miss the dummy standing there. "Oh... It's you again," I spoke unkindly, getting a return of narrow eyes from him."I'm surprise Stine nor Hannah didn't turn you into firewood," I graveled before getting a light hit on my arm.

"Zach!" she exclaimed.

I answered her with a shrug. "What?" I was then taken into the dining room. "What is it?" I asked once she let go of my wrist.

"Can you please stop being negative around him?" Hannah replied. "I know it's hard to believe but he can change."

"Yeah... right," I rolled my eyes in disbelief. "I bet he's gonna open more _Goosebumps _books," I said. I wasn't sure if my theory would come true or not, but knowing Slappy, he's always up to no good. "I remember what he did to my aunt, and it wasn't all-that nice." I crossed my arms, recalling the memories of what my aunt told me at what happened in the police station. "I can't believe you guys can trust him," I muttered bitterally.

My attitude quickly changed when I felt a peck on my right cheek, having both cheeks bloom in a pink color of circles. "Heh..." was all I can say.

"Zach, listen." She placed a hand on me, looking deeply at me with her blue-colored eyes. "I know you and Champ don't believe he can change, but... you have to give him a second chance..."

I pulled away from her in a gentle manner. "He tried to _kill _you in the lastest manuscript with a bonfire!" I reminded her.

"I don't want to argue with you!" she raised her voice at me.

"Who says we're arguing?" I too, raised my voice. "I don't him to stab you in the back at night while you're asleep in bed," I reasoned.

"It'll never happen," she now lowered her voice in case the evil thing is listening to us. "Maybe you can, oh I don't know, hang out with him this weekend?" she simply suggested.

"Nope," I shook my head and declined. "I'm sorry, Hannah, I don't trust him." I rubbed the back of my neck. "And what about Hazel?" I brought up into the conversation. "What would she think when she discovers him out of the brand new manuscript?"

"Dad's gonna explain it to her. Maybe she can hang out with him…" she thought out loud. "I know, how about we play a board game?"

I squinted my eyes. "A board game...?" I sighed. "I dunno..." I hesitated. "Is Slappy a gamer?"

"Only one way to find out." Taking my hand, she pulled me right out of the dining room.

And I have this thought in my head. But I kept it to myself, not wanting to upset her. I can't believe I'm gonna play a board game with her and the stupid evil dummy.

When we got out of the dining room, Hannah went to get Slappy. I sat down on the couch, hearing him call out his name. "Slappy. Slappy, do you want to play a board game?" I rolled my eyes when she asked him. What kind of evil thing likes to play board games? "Slappy?" she called out again from upstairs. "Yo, where are you Slappy?" Then I heard her climb down the steps. "Zach, he's not in any room upstairs," she reported, brushing back her hair with one hand.

"Good," I answered, tapping the arm of my couch.

She didn't like the way I was acting towards him. "Zach..." Giving me a frown, she looked down at the floor. "Give him a chance?" she began to beg. "Okay?" she asked. "For me?" Picking her head up, she now gave me a look. A look I couldn't resist. She was giving me the puppy face. Never in my life I would see something like that on her because she never sent me that look ever since we started dating until now.

No matter how much I tried to keep my 'cool', I broke into a smile. "Alright, I'll help you look for him," I gave in with a light chuckle.

We searched around the house, checking every hiding spots such as closets and cabinets he can fit into since he's very short.

Makes me want to use him as a baseball bat.

I stopped from the upstairs hallway, seeing a rope dangling above me. Knowing Slappy, he won't be able to reach it unless he used his teleportation skills to get inside the attic.

Reaching up for the rope, I grabbed it, pulling the door open until it was all the way down. There was a hook hanging as well, indicating me it wasn't locked up, making it easier for me to open it.

A ladder covered half in rust wasn't too high where I can reach it. So I grabbed it, giving it a good tug, having it come down in front of me.

I grabbed onto the metal bars, making my way up to the attic.

The room was filled with boxes covered in lots of dust when I reached the top, having me step into the room. There was a lightbulb hanging at the center of the ceiling with a chain next to it. I grabbed the chain, pulling it. The light wasn't very bright, but luckily it was still daylight from outside, the sun pouring into the window.

I looked around, but I didn't want to be a snoop, so I decided to return to the second floor.

By the time my feet touched the floor, I hoisted the ladder up before closing the door which wasn't easy to do. It was easy to open the door, but it wasn't easy to close it since it only has a rope attached to it, so pushed it shut instead. I didn't lock it up in case Slappy is up there without me realizing it.

I swept my hand over my short hair when Hannah came up to me. "Any luck?" I asked her. "I checked the attic and he's not there," I told her, pointing at the room. "It was easy to open the door, except when you have to close it." I chuckled.

Hannah chuckled too. "Me and my dad have trouble closing it, too," she told me. "Luckily both the rope and door aren't too high for us to reach. Maybe he's down in the basement...?"

"Could be," I nodded in agreement. "Or he could've ran onto the road to get run over by a large truck," I added somewhat humorously.

Hannah didn't find it very funny. "Let's check the basement. And let's hope dad put away the bear traps," she hoped.

"If he didn't, I'll run back upstairs." When I said that, Hannah burst out laughing. "What?" I gave her a confused look.

"Nothing." She shook her head. "Nothing at all. Come on." Leading me to the basement, we both stopped when we heard... crying...

"Is that..." I wanted to ask, but my voice trailed off.

"Yes, I was surprised too," she answered my unfinished question. Before she can say anything else, we then heard a breaking voice from him.

"I don't think I'll ever change," his voice came through the door. "How can I change when nobody else can trust me. What would happen to me when I..." There was a long pause, with me and her waiting for what he had to say. "I don't know what'll happen to me. Stine said I can change, but how do I without causing havoc? And Hannah said she'll give me a second chance but... I don't believe her!" His volume began to increase. "I've been lied to before, so I bet she's lying to me!" he yelled from down in the basement. "Maybe I should rot upstairs in the place above the second floor, but thanks to my height, I can't reach the damn rope! Not even a frickin' chair can help me!" He tried getting into the attic? I wanted to ask Hannah, only I didn't want to, so we both continued to listen. I even open a door with a slight jar, and we both saw him at the right side of steps, the light barely giving off the creepy room. We both held our breaths for him not to see us. "And I don't care what's in the mystery room as long as my body keeps breaking- Actually, I want to hurt myself more! My stupid for nothing friends gave me a headstart, so why not keep going! Or I should run out onto the street and...get myself _killed!_" Hearing this, I couldn't help but to think of what he was throwing out. He is talking about suicide...? I open the door even father with my girlfriend by my side, wanting to hear more. "That's what I wanted to do! I want to _**KILL MYSELF!" **_All of a sudden, he grabbed something, tossing it hard in my direction.

I didn't have time to react when the object came flying towards me. I didn't have time to see it clearly enough to know what it is. I assumed it was one of the bear traps. I wasn't too sure; the object hit me right on the forehead. "Ow!"

"Zach!" Quickly, she pulled me away from the door, taking me upstairs to her bedroom with my hand on my forehead. "Sit down and wait right here," Hannah instructed me.

When she left the room, I took my hand away from my forehead. It only had a small drop of blood on it. I'm guessing the object, whatever it is, cut me. But man did that hurt like hell.

"I'm back." Hannah came into the room with a first aid kit and sat down next to me. "Look here." I did as I was told. "Hmm..."

"Is my face messed up?" I couldn't help but ask with worry.

"No," she answered with a smile. "Your face is fine. Although..."

"What?" I asked. "Although what?"

"It's the same area where you cut yourself last time. It just needs a band-aid." Opening up the first aid kit, she took out one of the bandages. She unpeeled it, placing the sticky item on my cut. "There all finished." Hannah shut the box when she noticed me looking at her. "What?" she said.

"You have such beautiful eyes," I spoke with a lovable smile.

Hannah can only return a blush. "So do you..." The pink circles grew brighter on her cheeks.

"Um..." we then both heard a voice. We turned our heads towards the door, seeing Slappy with raised brows.

Oh boy, was all I can think of.

* * *

**Slappy**

* * *

I opened my wooden ears, listening to those humans, wanting to know what they're going to say.

"Can you please stop being negative around him?" I heard Hannah ask. "I know it's hard to believe but he can change." I can agree with her. I can't believe in myself for me to able to change my ways.

"Yeah... right," I heard Zach disbelieved. "I bet he's gonna open more _Goosebumps _books. I remember what he did to my aunt, and it wasn't all-that nice." His aunt? "I can't believe you guys can trust him." Then there was light laugh. "Heh..."

"Zach, listen." I pear around the corner to see her looking at him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know you and Champ don't believe he can change, but… you have to give him a second chance..."

He gently pushed her away, sending her reminding words. "He tried to _kill _you in the lastest manuscript with a bonfire!" He's right about that... I continued to eavesdrop on them.

"I don't want to argue with you!" Hannah began to yell.

"Who says we're arguing? I don't him to stab you in the back at night while you're asleep in bed," he explained, raising his voice too.

I felt hurt when he mentioned those words. I slowly backed away from my hiding place, refusing to hear anymore. I feel like hiding in the mystery room, but I remember the rope was too high for me to reach. I didn't want to hide in any bedroom, so my only option is to find a different room, and not the mystery room.

I walked away from the scene, discovering a door.

Where does this lead to? I wondered to myself. I pressed my hands on the door, hoping it wasn't locked.

The door open revealing a room. I think this a basement. I seen one back in Chicago at Stine's old house, except he told me I wasn't allowed down there. Probably from all the dust and he didn't want me to get dusty or dirty, something I can't blame him for.

But Stine isn't here, so I decided to go down the steps as quietly as I can after I shut the door for no one to come in and bother me. I had to hold onto the railing since the steps are a bit high and I don't want to fall down.

When I got to the bottom of the steps, I sat at the left side of the room right near the staircase. There wasn't a lot of light in the room, so it made it easier for me to hide.

"I don't think I'll ever change," I began talking to myself. "How can I change when nobody else can trust me. What would happen to me when I…" I paused for a moment. "I don't know what'll happen to me. Stine said I can change, but how do I without causing havoc? And Hannah said she'll give me a second chance but… I don't believe her!" I yelled out, tears pricking the corners of my eyes. "I've been lied to before, so I bet she's lying to me! Maybe I should rot upstairs in the place above the second floor, but thanks to my height, I can't reach the damn rope! Not even a frickin' chair can help me! "And I don't care what's in the mystery room as long as my body keeps breaking- Actually, I want to hurt myself more!" I decided. "My stupid for nothing friends gave me a headstart, so why not keep going! Or I should run out onto the street and...get myself _killed!_" The tears stream down my face now. "That's what I wanted to do! I want to _**KILL MYSELF!" **_I grabbed something and, with a hard throw, I toss whatever I grabbed away from me in pure anger.

"Ow!" I suddenly heard a voice cry out in pain.

"Zach!" came along Hannah's voice. I heard their footsteps leaving the doorway.

"Were those brats spying on me?" I spitted, cleaning my eyes and face, getting rid of the tears. I got up, using my powers to get to the top of the basement steps. "Yep, those kids spied on me," I discovered, seeing the door open a slight jar. "Kids these days..." I shut the door behind me, walking away from it, heading to the other staircase to make my way upstairs to tell them not to spy on me.

"Sit down and wait right here." By the time I reached the top of the steps, Hannah jogged towards the bathroom before heading out of there with a white box with a red plus on it. "I'm back." She had returned to her bedroom. I walked over there, standing at the doorway, but she nor the other kid paid any attention to me. "Look here," Hannah spoke. "Hmm..." She studied him.

It was then when he asked her something. "Is my face messed up?"

It should be, I thought. Your face reminds me of a wart I got rid of last week. I didn't dare speak the insult out loud to him.

Hannah shook her head and answered. " face is fine. Although..."

"What? Although what?" He waited for her to finish on what she wanted to say.

Tell him his face is so ugly, you don't want to be around him anymore. I sent a message to her, but she said something else instead.

"It's the same area where you cut yourself last time. It just needs a band-aid," she told him, opening up the small box, she took something out. Unpeeling it, she placed whatever it was onto Zach's forehead. "There all finished," she announced, closing up the box. She looked up to see him looking right back at her. "What?" she then asked.

"You have such beautiful eyes," he suppressed in a behavior I had never seen before, along with a strange smile.

Hannah's face turned bright pink. "So do you..." she returned.

"Um..." I couldn't help it, the word slipped out of me. They both turned to me, almost stunned to see me standing there. "Why are you two acting strange...?" I asked.

"U-Uh...um..." Hannah stuttered. "We're-"

"It's none of your business," Zach cut in.

I flinched. "O...kay. I just wanted to ask-"

"None of your business," he repeated rudely.

"Zach." Hannah lightly smacked him on the shoulder. "Enough. Let's all play some board games," she suggested. "How about a game of _Clue_?"

Me and Zach thought about it. We both knew what she wanted us to get along, but it turns out Zach didn't want to say no. "Alright." Hannah beamed and turned her head towards me.

"How about you, Slappy? Do you want to play _Clue_?"

"I never played '_Clue'_," I told her admittedly.

"It's because you were trapped inside a book for you not to know how to play," Zach answered for Hannah.

She ignored that. "I'll tell you the rules. Come on, you two go downstairs into the dining room and I'll grab the game. I'll be with you in a sec." She waved her hands in a shooing motion. "Go on; go downstairs and wait for me. And don't destroy my dad's stuff," she added.

Me and this kid didn't say anything as we walked out of her room into the living room. Zach sat down on the couch while I sat away from him, doing my best to ignore his harsh glare.

"You know, if you lay a finger on her, I will turn you into firewood," he spoke harshly.

"Mm," I responded, not affected by his choice of words.

I began to feel the soft spot fade away from me a little. This is going to be fun.


	29. Chapter 29: Game Time

**Chapter 29: Game Time**

* * *

**Slappy**

* * *

"Do we _really _have to play this stupid board game?" I grumbled, burying my head into my hands. "How about a different game, like _Chess?_" I suggested. "Me and Stine used to play it all the time... before I was locked in a damn book..."

Zach gave me the worst advice, responding to my complaint. "How about you go upstairs and do nothing." I picked my head up, sending him a sharp glare of my brown eyes. "The way you look at me, it doesn't scare me off," he brushed off the vibe I was giving him. "Not even..." He leaned towards me at the table. "Goosebumps." I rolled my eyes, not threatened at all.

"I want girlfriend..." I wished, even though it'll never happen.

"Please," Zach scoffed with a crooked smirk. "You're a wooden dummy."

"Don't call me dummy, Dummy!" I cried loudly, offended by the D word. "I hate it when people call me the word you just said."

"Boys, come on," Hannah seemed to beg, wanting us guys to stop fighting. "We're here to play _Clue_," she said, placing her hands on the top box with the board game inside of it.

"Can we play _Chess?_" I asked, not wanting to play this...boring game.

"_Chess_ is a two player game, Slappy." Taking the top part of the box, she lifted it up, setting it to the side. "It wouldn't be fair for one person not to play a game," she told me, setting up the game. "This game, however, can be played by more players," she smiled.

"Okay, okay." I didn't want to hear anymore. "Let's play the game."

"Alright, let me get out the instructions first," Hannah responded. "I hadn't played this game before when my-"

"Then why did he bought it?" Zach sent me an angry look when I interrupted her, causing me to slump in my chair. "...I was only asking," I mumbled softly, avoiding his look.

The look didn't leave his face. "You could've waited until she finished speaking."

"Wow, you are _soooooo_ respectful," I spoke in sarcasm, rolling my eyes with my arms crossed over my wooden, scratched up chest.

Zach was about to get up from the chair when Hannah stopped him. "Let's not start the game with violence." He slowly got back down on his seat after calming down a bit, but the hatefulness being thrown at me didn't leave him. "Now," she continued, "I'm gonna read the instructions. Listen carefully." She began reading the instructions_."Setting Up The Game:_ _First place all 6 character game pieces - whether you have 6 people playing or not - on the board at the starting squares marked with each name. The character game piece that each player is physically sitting closest to is the one they will use throughout the game. Next, separate the cards in to people, rooms, and weapons. Select a card out of each pile and put them - without looking at them - in the Confidential Case File envelope - essentially you should then have a person, weapon, and room in the envelope. Place the envelope in the center of the game board. Shuffle all of the rest of the cards and hand them out to each player, one at a time in a clockwise fashion, until all the cards have been dealt. Do not let anyone see your cards! Lastly, put the weapon game pieces at random into rooms on the board. Only one weapon per room."_

"Cool, can we play the game now?" The instructions being read is starting to bore me a lot more than ever.

"Slappy!" I cringed when the young lad yelled at me. "Shut...up."

"You shut up!" I snapped right back at him.

"No, you," he attacked with his words.

"Guys!" Me and him both stopped arguing when Hannah raised up her hand, halting anymore words we could've possibly been tossing at each other. "Please," she gentled out. "You guys need to learn to get along."

"How can we when this...freak is with us?" he said, clearly meaning me as the freak.

"_I'm_ the freak?" I replied, feeling offended. "You're a piece of crap!" I insulted.

Hannah gasped in surprise. "Slappy!" she scolded like a mother would do. "Don't you even say such horrible words to my boyfriend."

"I don't-" I started to argue, until I stopped with confusion. "Your boyfriend?" I then responded. "Him - the kid who trapped me and you and all of the monsters inside the single manuscript - is _your boyfriend!?_" I overreacted in pure madness.

"What gave it away? The part we I told you to keep your mouth shut when she's reading instructions?" Zach ignored my outburst with a snarky grin.

"Shut...up..." I muttered under my breath.

"You shut up..." he fought back with tight, clenching teeth, saying it slowly. "I bet no girl will ever wanted you," he condemned harshly. "You're made of wood and cloth," he pointed at me.

"What about me being _human_? Maybe a girl would like me, like the one back in-" I covered my mouth as fast as I could when I saw both their eyes going wide - really wide open. "N-Nevermind," I quickly changed the subject. "Let's play this stupid board game."

They both looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders. "Okay, let me keep reading the paper," Hannah replied to me. I rolled my eyes, knowing it's gonna take forever. "Here is how to play _Clue. Turns: The player that is using Miss Scarlet - red game piece - goes first. From there, the turns go in a clockwise fashion..." _I hope I don't get confused by this stupid game as I listened to the instructions as carefully as I can, making sure I didn't miss any word of it. "_...Strategty: Use your detective pad to eliminate the possible suspects, rooms, and weapons used in the murder. You should immediately check off the cards that were dealt to you - you know for a fact that those cards aren't in the Confidential Case File envelope," _she continued reading. Blah… "_Moving And Entering Rooms-"_

"Are you done now?" The more she went through with it, the more I felt bored. In fact, I'm bored being _bored._ "Can't we play the game right away?"

"Slappy..." She gave me a warning expression on her face, causing me to shut my wooden trap. "Do you want me to call dad?"

"What's he gonna do? Trap me in a book?"

"Yes," Zach answered for her.

"Zach!" Now Hannah gave him a warning look. "Enough," she added. "Do you two want to play this board game or not?" she asked us, waiting for our answers. "Well?"

Me and him breathed out of our noses at the same time, replying to her.

"Yes."

"Why not? After this, I'm going to bed."

Rolling her eyes directly at me from my dull answer, she went back to where she left off. "_Moving And Entering Rooms:" _she directed with her left finger, planting them onto each room since she was holding the paper with her right hand. "_For each turn, a player will roll the die - unless using a secret passage - and advance their game piece towards the door of the room they are trying to enter. Players can move left, right, up, or down. No diagonal moving, but can't move into a space that is already occupied by a player. You can use a secret passage as your turn if you are in a room that has that secret passage option on the board. You do not roll the die on this turn if you do use a secret passage. You cannot move through a door if the space is blocked by an opponent's piece. Iit is possible to be stuck in a room if all doors are blocked, in which case you would have to pass on your turn until the room is unblocked..."_

I looked away with my hand on my scratched up cheek, flinching from the sharp pain being given to me from myself, the memories at the mall filling into me at the bookstore where I was waiting for my creator.

At first when I heard the secret door opened, I thought it was him until I realized it wasn't him at all. She was a girl; a female who looked about to eleven years of age with dark hair which seemed to be a bit shorter than Hazel's, along with brown eyes behind her thin, rimmed glasses.

Remembering, I believe her name was... Wait... What _was _her name? I know it starts with a letter A...but...I don't seem to remember... When we were introduced to each other, she didn't run off like those bullies I did a long time ago.

It wasn't the point though. The point was that she was doing all this talking to keep me distracted. It set me off, badly. I wanted to grab her neck and strangle her, but I was too late to do so because my creator sucked me back into my book, letting me rot in hell like I was garbage.

When Zach told me no girl would ever wanted me sounded cruel. I may be a puppet made out of wood, but... I may have feelings for the girl back in Chicago. I never showed it to her, plus I don't think she did either. Yes, I'm handsome and attractive looking, which is great for my ego since I'm the best from my other 'friends'. Except I'm not made out of flesh. I'm simply made out of wood and cloth. No girl would ever want to go out with me. Even if I was a human being, she would give a cold stare like this boy is doing right now.

I ignored the looks, tapping my finger on the table to annoy him.

"Alright, let's play the game," Hannah suddenly broke in, bringing me back to reality, halting my finger inches away from the table top.

I place my hand down. "...huh?"

Zach squinted his eyes at me. "You weren't paying attention, weren't you?"

"I was deep in thought!" I lamed out with excustion. "I was thinking about the time back in Chicago," I explained my memory to him. "I didn't mean to slack off..." I trailed off when he continued squinting his eyes at me. "Ungh..." I groaned with irritation. "Give me the list of rules of the game, please?" I requested, my hand held out to Hannah.

"Sure." She gave it to me with no hint of hesitation. "You can read at the top of the page to regain the memory of the rules."

"Whatever..." I drawled out a sigh, reading through the paper. I have to do it at least ten or twenty times for the words to get into my head with no brain inside of it, even though I'm smart about everything.

Hm... Maybe he can enroll me in school... No. It'll never work. Puppets are not allowed in schools, I told myself. I set the paper down with no care in the world. "I'm ready..." I dulled out, with no interest in the game whatsoever.

"Great!" she shared with a beaming smile. She set up the game with her boyfriend's help. "You choose a character first," she offered the figurines.

I looked at each one of them before choosing the one with the red dress. "I'll use this one," I picked out.

"Red Scarlet, you get to go first." Handing me a white cube with spots on each side, she placed it on my hand after she gave out the number of cards of six. "Go ahead, Slappy, roll the dice," she encouraged me when both she and Zach picked out their characters as well as getting the other ones set up.

"Uh..." I flipped the cube onto the board game. Four dots faced upwards. "Now what?" I asked, not knowing what to do next.

"You move four spaces," Zach deadpanned.

I ignored him, moving my character four spaces when I saw a small envelope in front of me. "What's the envelope for?" I asked.

"Well, while you were deep in your own thought, Hannah put three cards in here - the room, the weapon, and the murderer - in there, and you were supposed to write down what you _think _is in there," he spoke in explanation with no lightness to it.

"She didn't say that!" I was getting confused. "Gruh..." I rumbled. "This is too confusing, let's play an _easier_ game, huh?" I suggested.

"She said-"

"Zach, it's okay," Hannah settled before he can yell at me. "He's right. I don't know how to play the game either. I know I read the rules, but it doesn't seem like a beginner game for us. How about _Truth Or Dare?_" she decided on another game.

A grin formed on his face. "I _love_ that game," he empathized gratefully. "I'll go first."

However, Hannah shook her head. "No, we're letting him go first, Zach."

"_Him?_ You're letting him go first _again?_" he responded. "He's a stupid, wooden-"

"_DON'T SAY IT!" _I screeched on top of my non-existing lungs.

"Oh what?" he began to interrogate me. "You don't want me to call the D word?" he taunted.

"Leave him alone," his girlfriend stood up for me. "He needs to be reform, so the only way to do this is to play some games. Go ahead, Slappy."

"Hmm." I rubbed my chin in thought. "I dare _you_ to steal something from your mom's bedroom, like... her engagement ring."

Zach gasped.

"You have to. It's the rule," Hannah backed up.

"Hah!" I laughed

He clenched his teeth together. "Fine," he gritted angirly. "You're lucky she's at the store." He got up to go to his house to steal his mom's wedding ring.

It only took him a few minutes, and by the time he came back with the ring in his hand, I burst out laughing, pounding my fist on the table. My laughter was cut short when he came up to me and spoke.

"Alright, I dare you to write a love letter to the Haunted Mask."

It was my turn to gasp, and used my magic to bring a pen and paper, writing my 'love' letter down, despite having no feelings for the ugly thing for what she and the monsters done to me. After I finished, I handed it to him.

"Happy?" I asked when he took it from me.

"Very," he replied giving a smirk.

"Do I get a turn?" Hannah tried not interrupt.

"I dare you to enter in the new book full of my monster 'friends'," I commenced.

"I dare you to burn yourself," he threw back.

"No way I'm doing that! I dare you to stop being nice to everyone in town."

"I dare you-"

"Enough!" We both stopped arguing when Hannah quickly intervened. "The point of the game is to play it nicely, not getting someone hurt or make them cruel," she stated. "Now one of you has to give me a truth or dare."

We both looked at each other. "Guess I'll tell her," I volunteered. "What will it be, Hannah?"

"Truth," she answered confidently. "I want to do truth, not dares."

"Okay, have you done anything evil when Stine first created you?" I questioned her like a policeman.

"Nope," she shook her and gave out a clear response. "I never did anything evil ever since dad created me. Okay, now it's _my_ turn. Slappy, truth or dare?"

"I'll do truth..." I decided. I rather avoid the dares too.

"Have you ever hurt somebody?" The question caught me off guard.

"C-Can you repeat the question? Did you ask if I ever hurt somebody?" I repeated the words.

"Yes, have you hurt somebody? Be honest."

"Uh...um..." I didn't know how to answer. "I don't think so..."

"Really?" Hannah tilted her head, not believing me. "What about Hazel? You bit her, right?"

"...yes..." I slouched in my seat. "I'm going back upstairs," I excused sadly.

"Good, we don't want you here," I heard Zach say behind me.

"Zach," Hannah hissed at him. I assumed he slouched in his chair as well. "You don't have to go upstairs," she called after me.

"I want to be alone." With a heavy sigh and too lazy to teleport to the guest room, I trudged up there, dragging my shoes on the ground. I can feel a tear coming out of the corner of my eye, letting it fall freely to floor as it left a green glow like it had before at the old, abandoned amusement park when I hid in the candy stall for no one to find me.

I was dumb enough when Stine's daughter followed the trail of my green, glowing tears. Turns out I'm not as smart as I thought I was. Oh well... I am a dummy for God's sake.

Reaching the room, I pushed the door open, letting it hit the wall. I didn't check for any small damage since I was in no mood to do so.

Going over to the bed, I climbed up there, planting face first onto the covered up mattress, staying this way for a long time.

When I needed air, I rolled over, staring at the ceiling. The memories of the mall bounced around me inside my head.

Not only do I remember _her_, I also remember having my older brother help me. All I did was make him wear a tux for him to be a decoy of me, but I guess she wasn't fooled by him.

However, I didn't think he actually liked me when he first saw me when I released him from his book. I didn't take it very somber when he called me 'runt', thinking he was playing with me. I just ignored him, forcing him to do the thing I wanted him to do.

Now thinking about it, he was left behind at the bookstore of the mall five years ago. I bet he's really ticked off at me.

I should ask Stine about him, wanting to know if Wally - my brother - hated me before since the only time I met him was back in Chicago when I freed him from his manuscript. I know which one it was. It has my name on it on the left side of the word _nightmare_. I believe it's titled _Slappy's Nightmare._ Weird how it has my name on it.

Does the new book got my name on it too? I wondered. There's only one way to find out. Getting off the bed, almost landing perfectly on my feet, I hurried over to the study room. The moment died away when I saw the book wasn't on any of the shelves from the bookcase.

I'm assuming Stine hid it somewhere for precautionary measures. Still, I wonder where he put it. It's not like I'm going to open it, I'm curious to know what the book - the new book - is called. I never got to see the title after I was free from that thing of hell.

Being careful not to be sneaky, I snuck out of the room, tip-toeing over to his bedroom, and began my search. I want to avoid breaking things, so I hunted for the book, doing my best to act casual.

I checked in each drawer of his dresser. It wasn't even in the closet. Maybe the book is under his bed. Yeah, it should be there.

Making my way to the bed, I placed myself onto my hands and knees, sticking my head underneath the large furniture.

"Slappy?"

I jerked my head with startledness - and bumped the top part of it from the bottom part of the bed, which is made out of wood. "Ow!" I seethed with a grunt, quickly crawling away from there. "What?" I cringed, focusing on my injury rather than the person who scared me.

"Why are you looking underneath my dad's bed?" It was Hannah. "Are you looking for something?"

"N-No," I answered as fast as I could, feeling the pain go away. "I was only exploring," I fibbed, hoping it'll work on her.

It did. "Okay," she shrugged off. "Me and Zach are gonna play _Wii Sports_. You want to play? You can make your character to look like you."

I shook my head. "I don't want to... I'd rather watch. Besides, I might break the TV. Not only that, but your boyfriend doesn't want to see me..." I turned away sadly.

I heard Hannah sigh above me. "I know he doesn't agree with you being free by my dad, but... I don't know. I can't force you guys to become friends. I wouldn't do the same for anybody, especially Hazel."

"Can you not mention her, please? I don't want to think about the event on what I had done to her."

"So you feel bad?"

I didn't answer right away. Instead, I gave a nod in case I start crying. When thinking about my attack on her, I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have bitten her, leaving a mark on her. Hazel seemed like a nice person.

"If you're watching us play the game, you have to be downstairs. And don't worry about Zach, I'll keep an eye on him," Hannah promised.

"How come it doesn't make me feel better?" I grudged, feeling no need to go down there wil him, knowing he'll say more unkind words to me. "Hannah..." I spoke after a short moment. "What's it like to...like someone?" I asked with full curiosity.

She returned with a surprised, full-on expression when she replied. "You wanna know what it's like to _like someone_?"

"Yeah." I nodded my head stiffly. "What's it like?"

"Why do you want to know?" she seemed to question me. "Is there someone in particular you want to tell me?" She gave me a small smile only for it to turn slightly upside down. "Or do you not want to?" she said, giving me a choice.

I played with the ripped fabric of my tux before responding. "There is this one person... a girl... back in Chicago. You know, the one I talked about who helped Stine who trapped me between the pages of a book?"

"I wasn't there," Hannah recalled the event. "I was asleep in the car since it was a long day when it happened," she remembered her own experience. "Dad did give me a description of her, telling me it happened back in twenty-ten; five years ago so I never met her in person. She seemed like a nice person when he told me about her."

"Huh..." I looked away slightly. "Then why did she let me get trapped in a book?" I wondered.

"Because you're..." she started to answer my question, having me give her a warning glance. "...having a temper tantrum?" she worded out slowly with an uneasy laugh. "Sorry, I didn't want to make you more angry than ever."

"I'm not angry... The only thing I'm feeling is about me," I frowned

"You?" She didn't seem to understand where I was going with this.

"Yes me," I answered her confusion. "It may sound silly but I do feel bad for everything I have done. I know for a fact I'll never change. I don't think I'll _ever _change for all the things I've done in the past...even the events I'd done you...and Hazel." I got up, walking over to the window, the glass all covered up with water drops as the sky continuously let the rain fall. The drops streak across from me with small reflections of myself. "By the way, why was Stine acting weird today?" I suddenly changed the subject.

Hannah approached me from behind. "Like he told you before, he's with his special someone."

I turned to her. "What's his 'special' someone's name?"

"You don't want to know." I opened my mouth to protest, but she stopped me. "You don't need to know what her name is," she said sternly.

"Okay, fine." Afterwards, I walked past her. "I'll be downstairs," I informed her, seemingly not to care about her boyfriend who foiled my plan several months ago. I wish I could go back in time and just fix the mess I made. Except I can't. I can't go back to the past.

I stepped into the hallway, looking down at the floor as I edged my way to the staircase before I stopped to look at the mysteries door above, the rope dangling over my head, almost taunting me to reach and grab it.

I was in no mood to try again to jump to see if I can reach it. I mean, no matter how hard I try, it'll always be too high for me. Like I mentioned before, not even a chair would help nor successful. Instead, it hung there limply. I also notice a hook hanging there as well, never seeing it before. I guess I didn't see it at first glance when I saw this door on the ceiling.

What could be up there... Eh, probably weird junk Stine liked to collect since he's a mysterious person for being like he had been in the past since I'm not sure if he changed or not. Mm, nah. He's the same guy, the same creator who made me back in nineteen ninety-three from the _Night Of The Living Dummy _story.

Huh, thinking about the book... was my older brother in it? I wasn't the main villain at all during the first book about me. All I did was sat behind the scenes during the whole entire story with only having two lines from the start and at the end of the book.

I pondered, now wondering about him being in the first dummy book I was created in, thinking about it for who knows how long. I never saw him when I was trapped in the book during all those past years, which explains why he was released from a totally different book when I unlocked it. And besides, I've been written in more books than any other monster in the world, but I was only released from the first book even though I wasn't the main antagonist in the first story.

Why though? I began questioning the thought of it. How comes _I _was the one to be released from that book for not being the main villain like I was back in _Night Of The Living Dummy II... _Wait a second, I started to remember. I only came out of _Night Of The Living Dummy_, not from the other books with me in them. I also did cameos for other certain books matter of factly, like in those _Goosebumps Horrorland _series like the once known as _Panic Park_. I could be wrong about the title since I never seen the book.

Maybe some are up there, I assumed the answer. However, I'll never ever open up another book as long as I live. Except I never die for being made out of ink inside my wooden body because when I got attacked by those idiots who betrayed me, the scratches from the werewolf would 'bleed' out ink, dark and liquidy, dripping onto the ground.

I remember the pain...remembering how much those scratches hurt from all the beatings I was getting during the time being trapped in the pages of the new book.

They took out all their anger out on me. They blamed me for not stopping Stine, for not killing him like I should have done. They're ticked off when I didn't give Hazel a good enough scare since it seems like biting isn't enough.

I didn't know what to do during that point when all my 'allies' turn to me with angry looks on their faces when Hannah got free from the ropes tied to a single, wooden post from the bonfire they made.

Hell, I took off the chain off the werewolf's neck to save his life for it was burning his skin off, causing the tip ends of the fur to turn a charcoal color of black.

Actually, the dream I had with me arguing with those monsters _did_ happen to me while I was in the new manuscript for several months. I don't know why it got turned into a dream since it happened in real life.

Probably because it never left my head. I know I never said this in my entire life but I'm glad Stine got me out of there when I was continuously attacked by those jerks who I called buddies.

It was a real struggle too, because they almost got free when he pulled me with them pulling me back in, wanting to beat me up a lot more. I can almost feel their hands on me now.

The werewolf's claws... the hitting... the biting... the harsh words plummeting at me… I even have a huge gash from the Lord High Executioner, the large, muscled guy from _A Night In Terror Tower_ on the front part of my body, being hidden underneath my suit.

But I'm not talking them anymore, refusing to recall bad memories. I'm talking about why I was only released from first dummy book, most likely the seventh one in the series because _Night Of The Living Dummy_ is book number seven in the original _Goosebumps_ series. It didn't make sense to me.

I'm going to ask Stine about it, needing answers to why I was the only one released from that book and no other dummy book starring me. Yes, I mentioned the D word, I know. So forget about and yes, I still hate being called a dummy. So shut up.

After glancing at the ceiling door, I decided to ignore it. I can ask Stine or Hannah to open up the door when the time comes. Right now, I want to get downstairs.

I prepared for any negativity from the Zach kid who is getting the Wii set up. When he was finished, he turned to me with a grim expression plastered all over him. "Are you gonna play the game?" he asked me with no hint of spirit.

Knowing what he was talking about, I shook my head. "No. I'll be watching." I walked over to the couch, hoisting myself up there, only for me to fall onto the floor. "Oof," I grunted. "A little help, please?" I waved my hands and feet like a turtle would do when stuck on its back.

He didn't say anything as he got up from the floor, going up to me. Then he took ahold of my mid-section with me cringing when his hands touched the claw marks. He didn't set me down nicely even though I did my best to be polite to him.

"Thanks," I submitted with a hint of annoyance and sarcasm. "You don't have to be cold around me, you know. I can change."

"Yeah, right," Zach responded skeptically.

"I can too, change," I insisted from the couch, keeping my eyes on him. "I can change within minutes, you wait and see. Besides, I can be a part of this family again like the last time," I futed, jabbing a finger at him.

"Just because you're a villain, _doesn't_ mean you can change!" he immediately fired when hearing me wanting to be part of Stine and Hannah's relationship. "For now, you can barely say anything nice! Some wooden demon, you are!"

When hearing this, I gasped deeply like he had gone too far beneath my skin. Or in this case, my wood. It was becoming more than any regular argument.

"How dare you...!" I shot back slowly, doing my best not to get angry. "How dare you call me a demon!" I aggressively assaulted, feeling offended by his choice of words.

"What am I supposed to call then, eh, _evil thing_?!" he fired back. "You have no _heart_ inside of you from all the wood you're made of."

"Excuse me, but I protected my creator _way_ before I was trapped in the book with no heart at all," I defended from my spot. "Hey-!" I was picked up by the back of my suit being face-to-face with him. Luckily for being made out of wood, I didn't get strangled.

Zach held me up away from the couch, my feet dangling in the air. "From what Stine told us, you almost murder his bullies to death. Even going to far with the pranks."

"I couldn't help it, he needed my help! Besides, it's not like I'll ever hurt anyone."

"Really? What about the time you bit Hazel who's at the special hospital?"

Hearing this made me stopped fighting with him. Receiving only silence from me, he loosened up his fingers, letting me fall onto the floor.

"Ow! You could've set me back on the couch."

All he did was ignored me when Hannah came into the living room, holding out two white remotes with strange buttons on them. "Ready?" he asked, changing his attitude towards her. "I got it all set up," he proudly told her.

Hannah beamed. "Awesome." Taking one of the remotes, she put the hoop around her wrist, making sure it was snug it enough for it not to fling out of her hand. "Are you sure you don't want to play _Wii Sports_? I can create your character for you," she offered with Zach rolling his eyes at her kindness towards me. She noticed, nudging his arm with her elbow.

I shook my head, too angry to answer her with spoken sentences. Hannah tilted her head to the side.

"Why are you laying on the floor?" she asked.

"To see what the ceiling looks like," I returned in a sarcastic manner, no mood to give her real response she was looking for. "Wow, it's all plain with designs. Woo-hoo," I crowed.

"O-kay..." She turned back over to Zach. "Which one do you want to do first?" she said.

"How about tennis," he answered.

"Sure. First, let's make our characters." Going over to one of the categories on the screen, a hand went top of the icon with the word Mii on it. She pressed one of the buttons on the strange device. "I'll make mine first," she grinned, choosing a female one as I continued to watch from the ground. I wasn't curious in anyway, but it's pretty interesting to see her make her character look like her. "There," she proclaimed, after she finished. She faced over at Zach. "Your turn." The grin remain on her face.

Sending a grin back at her, he went on ahead, creating his own Mii, choosing the hair, eyes, and shirt color.

When he finished up, I couldn't help myself to speak what I think of his own character. "It doesn't look close to being you," I pointed out, being very specific with no hesitation.

"It does too," he started fighting.

"No, it does not," I fought back at him.

"Guys..." Hannah tried to intervene, but we're too engrossed with the tense conversation we were having.

"It does too, look like me!" Zach used the weird remote to point at the TV screen where the character is at.

"Clearly, it doesn't." I crossed my arms over my chest, staying on the floor.

"Guys..." Hannah tried again, not wanting to interrupt us.

"It looks like me, you freak!" Hearing the insulting word from him, I casted him a cold glare from my eyes, quickly getting up to my feet, ignoring my aching scars. "Since you don't have a good enough imagination..."

"Hold on just a second," I halted, stopping him from going any further. "Are you saying I don't have any _imagination_?!" I flamed out.

He answered with an eye roll. "Yes, it's exactly what I said."

"Ugh, I may be a wooden...puppet, but it doesn't mean I don't have any imagination. In fact, I actually helped Stine come up with plots of his story despite that's all you know about him, including his allergies." I crossed my arms in front of me. "You don't know _anything else_ about my creator." Zach sent me narrowed eyebrows, with me brushing it off. "What? All you know about him is that he wrote the _Goosebumps _and has allergies."

"He also said he was picked on. But did you do a good job of keeping him safe? No!"

"Guys, stop!" Hannah stepped between us and intervened. "Seriously you two, stop fighting. You guys can't keep going on like this."

Zach swept his hand over his short, brown hair, sighing. "It'll never work, Hannah..." he spoke with doubtfulness. "Slappy will be evil... He'll never change." While he talked to her, he pretended I wasn't here. "Someday he'll wreck the town again like the last time. I bet he's gonna burn down all the buildings."

"Why would you think he'll do that?" she replied, keeping her voice collected.

"I don't think, I _know_," he simply specified. He gazed at me with a pitiful look of disgust, shaking his head. "...I'm gonna go." Handing the Wii remote to her, he made his way to the front door. "I'll play Wii with you tomorrow." There was another glance towards me. "As long he isn't in the same room as us," he groused with a tight frown on his lips, opening the door. "Bye, Hannah." Giving a friendly wave to her and only her, he proceeded out the door with the rain splashing the ground, closing it quickly so none of the water comes through the house.

Once he was gone, I let out a sigh. "Nobody's ever gonna trust me..." I mumbled. "Everybody thinks I won't change." I fixed my suit, straightening out.

"Not everybody." Hearing Hannah speak, I only shrug in response. "Slappy, you have to give both boys time; it doesn't work in one day," she told me.

"Even when I do, what would happen next in my life?" I struggled to climb on the couch, slipping down back onto the floor. "Am I going to snap like the last time?" I questioned with full of untrustiness of myself, finally getting onto the furniture for the second try, groaning in discomfort from the markings.

"Why would you say that?" Hannah responded, taking a seat next to me.

My mood rapidly changed from being sad to being anger. "Did you already forget the story I had told you back at the candy shack from yesterday?!" I growled, feeling fairly annoyed.

"N-No, I didn't." She shook her head. "I meant to say is why would you think you'll snap again?"

"I dunno..." I ran my scarred up hand over my face, sighing. "Really. I dunno," I answered with the best honesty I could have. "I don't trust anyone, including myself."

Silence filled into the room, no reply coming from her. She's probably thinking of what I had said about me - myself. Saying what I said makes sense to me, knowing I'll cause more trouble than ever before.

It looked like the quietness faded away when Hannah spoke. "Slappy... you can trust yourself and everybody else," she told me in full compasion. "Dad and I trust you... even though you broke his fingers, had the Blob monster devour-"

"Sorry to cut you off but... can you not recall the bad times I did to him?" I apologized and requested the favor. "It also goes for injuring Hazel too," I added with some emotions with both guilt and anger, feeling disappointed in myself.

"Sure, I will." She handed me the remote after answering me. "I know you don't want to play _Wii Sports_, so… is it okay for you to play one game?"

"Mm." I gave her a small shrug. "Sure. It might help get rid of this grief I'm having." I took the remote. "Can you show me how to make a character of myself?" I asked.

Hannah smiled. "Sure. Let me go back to the Mii menu first." Fiddling around with her own remote, she went back to it. "There you go. These are the things you can use to make your Mii character. See?" The hand on the screen moved from each category while she showed me. "You can make your head shape, choose your hair, your expression, anything. You can even choose your color, too."

"Thanks." I looked at the remote. "What letter do I press?" I tilted my head to the side.

"The A button," she responded.

Nodding, I began making my character. Admittedly, I thought it's quite funny for me to make a character of myself since I'm already one from Stine's genius imagination.

I made sure the character looked exactly like me. Except for it's only wearing a shirt and pants. So for my color shirt, I chose the color matching my suit. "I got my Mii character."

"Nice job. Now what _Wii Sport _do you want to play? There's tennis, boxing, baseball, golf, bowling..."

"Let's do bowling."

"Alright." Exiting off the Mii menu, she went back to regular menu, pointing the other box, pressing the button. "You may as well put the strap on your wrist. The reason they're on the Wii remotes is in case you accidently let go of it. Otherwise, it'll flung right out of your hand and break the TV. And this TV costed my dad lots of money."

I took her advice, placing the hoop around my wooden wrist, tightening it. I didn't have to worry about circulation since I'm not made out flesh. "Ready," I announced.

Hearing me, she nodded her head, and went over to the category with the word _bowling_ on it. "Looks like I'm first."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I do know because I have the number one Wii remote and you have the number two remote." At least she didn't say it sarcastically because it's what I was expecting from her. She got up from the couch, standing at the center of the room. "You press the B button on the back of the remote..." She showed the button to me, pressing the button. "...then you move your arm back..." Wanting to see it more clearly, I got off the couch, standing next to her but not to close, listening to her instructions. "...and swing your arm forward and release the button," she finished, giving me an example, watching the ball roll over to the white things on the other end of the lane.

The ball knocked down six of them, the other four still standing. Something came down, placing more of those white things. Six points came up on the screen.

"Those things are called pins. The bowling ball knocks them down. When you knock them all down, it's called a strike," she explained to me, like she knew I was gonna ask her what they were. "Now it's your turn."

Making sure she's out of my way, my character came up onto the screen, holding the same color ball matching the color of his - or my - shirt.

Doing what she did, I press the back button, brought my arm back, and let it flung forward, releasing the button. The ball on the screen went crooked, not going straight at all. Instead of knocking down any of the pins, it rolled into one of the two curves.

A word _Missed_ came up, having me get a little mad. I turned to Hannah. "This game stinks!"

"You just got started. You can't say it stinks when you only have one gutterball. Anywho, we're playing this game for fun."

"I can say what I want to say." I crossed my arms. "It's your turn, too," I added. "Good luck."

When she bowled, she got a gutterball as well. "See? I can get gutterballs like you had."

I rolled my eyes. "You did it on purpose."

"I know, I know. Now your turn is up again. This time, try throwing the ball straight," she advised. "Maybe this time your knock down some pins. Or maybe in this case, get a first strike."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hear you," I acknowledged, going back up front to the TV. Trying again, I bowled again, making sure to aim straight. The ball rolled smoothly fast on the lane - and knocked down all the pins. "Yes!" I raised my fists in triumphant joy and victory.

"Great job," she praised, sounding very impressed. "Your first strike. Looks like you're already beating me." When it's her turn, she did another bowl, knocking down nine pins. "Six plus nine equals fifteen points," she said, doing the math.

We played it for like an hour until it was done. Of course, I won from all the strikes I've been getting, becoming good at this game. Hannah turned it off, going over to the closet with me putting the Wii remote away, setting it next to the other one.

Going over to her, she pulled out another box, smiling down at me as she shut the closet door, heading over to the coffee table. She placed it on the table, taking the top off, telling me what it is when I got over to her.

"This is _Checkers_. It's not like _Chess_, meaning you don't need to sit and think a whole lot when doing this type of board game." She took out the board, unfolding it. There, on the board are checkered squares in the color of black and red. "These are the checkers," she stated, taking out a small, zip-block bag. "Me and dad keep them here so we won't lose any of them." Dumping them out, she made sure none of them rolled onto the floor. "Do you want to black or red? The person with the black pieces go first."

"I like to be the black pieces." I gathered up all the checkers in the color of black.

"And I'll be red." Gathering up her own pieces, she placed them on the black squares

Watching I did the same, placing mine on the black squares too. Since I'm three feet tall, I have to stand or else I won't see the board game unlike Hannah who's already sitting down. After it's all set up, she told me how the game is played.

"During each turn, we choose a checker and move to the next black square. It doesn't have to be the same checker you used. If one of use jumps over one our checkers, like for example, your piece, I take it away. If you jump over one of my pieces, you take that piece you jumped over. When you reach my end, you say, 'King Me', and flip whatever checker got to the end. The same goes for me when I get to your end. When me - or you - are at the other end, we move backwards. The way to win the game is to see who has the most checkered pieces. Got it?"

"I think so," I answered, scratching my painted hair. "So I go first, right?"

"Right," Hannah replied.

"And it doesn't matter which checker piece I use, right?"

"Right," she nodded her head and repeated.

"Okay, here goes." I moved one of my pieces, and let her have a turn. She moved her, having it be my turn next. It may not be an exciting game, but at least it's not too boring.

It also took a while for one of us to steal a piece because when it was Hannah's turn for the fifth time, she jumped over one of my pieces with one of her own, taking it, setting it next to the board game.

This went on and on, and soon it wasn't as much fun as it was before. So we both agreed to put it away and watch a movie, with Hannah letting me choose.

I chose to watch a scary movie - _The Exorcist_.

Hannah got the movie in, taking a seat on the couch with me on the floor. She noticed me not sitting next to her. "Do you want to sit with me?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I'm good," I responded.

Not wanting to ask me any further, she got the movie started, both me and her watching it. I've seen this movie many times before Stine created her.

Thinking about those days made me sad. Even though Stine told me he didn't replace me when he created Hannah, I can still feel the betrayal within me. It wasn't fair, at least for me. When I saw the bullies doing what they were doing to him, I had to act fast, wanting to help him before he was a goner.

Things were good during the time with him, way before I was locked up in a book. We used to be best friends, always there for each other. But after what I did, everything changed within a snap.

Although he said me and him can fix our relationship, I have full doubt about it changing. It's difficult for me to trust him again for what he put me through all these years; ignoring me. I've been - or should I say - used to been his favorite. I'm smart, strong, and have powers. Only I'm not his favorite anymore… At least, it's what I think.

To be honest, I'm not sure how to change. Yeah, I did some games, but it wasn't enough. I have to do other things, like doing great deeds around the house to see it'll work for me being...reformed.

And when I do get reformed, will I have my job back? I can keep the whole family safe from bad people, I confirmed the thought of it.

"I'm going to bed," I sighed, getting up on my feet, feeling tired all of a sudden, my scars getting soar. I felt Hannah nod behind me, knowing she heard me. I made my way to steps, climbing up on them steadily. "I should get fixed up," I murmured, taking one step at a time. "Except I don't want to get fixed." I paused. "Even though the markings all over me make me...weak."

"What was that Slappy?" Hannah piped up from where she was at. "Did you say something?" she asked, facing away from the television; the movie still on.

"Nothing!" I quickly yelled as fast as I could, feeling my face turning a shade of red with embarrassment. I can't believe she heard me when I was talking to myself.

Before she can get another word out, I scrambled up the stairs, heading to one of the guest rooms, slamming the door shut behind me. I'm sure she shrugged it off and went back to watching the movie all by herself.

Whatever.

I dragged my feet over to the bed, placing my hands on the mattress. I tried to pull myself up on there to rest, but failed miserably.

Tiredly, I laid down on the floor, curling my knees close to my chest, closing my eyes, letting my mind go empty, doing my best to get rid of the grief.

It wasn't easy.

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

I pulled up onto Lorraine's driveway, parking the car, pulling the car keys out of the slot, sliding them into my pants pocket so I won't lose them as I unbuckled my seatbelt, grabbing the boutique of flowers in the color of pink.

My sweetheart loves the color pink, I smiled thoughtfully, taking ahold of the car door handle, and opened up the door, getting out of the car. I shut the door behind me, the smile glued on my face, walking up to her front door, running my fingers through my hair like I was fixing it.

Adjusting my glasses, I knocked on the door and waited patiently for her to answer. I looked at the clouds, seeing how gray they are. Looks like it's gonna rain. I hope it's not heavy rain or else I won't be driving back home in hours.

Like I care when it rains. Funny thing is, the rain helps me relax. I don't know why but it does. I prefer this kind of weather than any other kind that'll make me grouchy.

I was about to knock on the door in case Lorraine didn't hear me when I heard footsteps. I began to feel romantic inside and out, the smile growing bigger when they got to the door.

"Who is it?" came a sing-song voice, sounding really bubbly with a hint of amusement.

"Someone you've been waiting for," I answered, playfully mocking her happiness. "Can you guess who it is?" I said.

A chuckle came from the other side of the door as she played along with me. "You sound like somebody I know."

"Really?" I perked. "What does he look like?" I asked.

"Oh, he's handsome...nice...caring... He wears nice clothing, has glasses, along with nice hair slicked on top of his head...Oh! He also smells like mint and B.O. He told me he rubs himself with cilantro every morning on the first day of his new job."

"New job?" I inquired with fake curiosity. "Where does he work at?"

"He works as an English teacher at the Madison High School," she told me, the perkiness remaining her personality.

"An English teacher. Ah, I see. How long has he been a teacher?"

Okay, it may seem strange for me to be this way. But I can't help it, the fun is going well when she answered me.

"He's been teaching English for several months now. If you want to, you can come into my home and wait for him," she offered kindly.

"You don't need to wait for him," I smiled. "He's already here."

The knob turned and she opened the door. A smile crossed over her pixy face, turning a shade of pink when she saw me. "Robert!" Lorraine exclaimed in full joyfulness, giving me a hug and a kiss on my lips.

I returned the favor. "Hi, sweetheart. You look as beautiful today," I flirted. I held up her gift in full happiness. "I got you a gift - flowers," I presented them in front of her.

"Robert, they're so pretty..." she breathed, taking the flowers out of my hands. "And they're pink too," she realized before smelling them.

"You did told me on our first date that you love flowers, especially the pink ones since it's your favorite color," I recalled, chuckling at the memory.

"Haha." Lorraine let out a laugh, giving the flowers another sniff. "They smell wonderful..." Her blue eyes locked on mine. "...just like you," she blushed.

"...Thanks." My face turned red in return.

Stepping to the side, she held the door open. "Come on in," she said invitingly. "I'll make you some tea."

"Thanks," I repeated, stepping into the living room, looking around the place. She's got nice decor here, I had to say, with a nice couch, a rug, a coffee table, pictures strewned on the walls, a recliner, and a flat-screen TV, it looks better than my home, but I'm not gonna judge.

I went up to one of the photos on the wall to see Lorraine with a small child. Hm, the child looks like Zach, only I'm not too sure. So I turned to get her attention. "Lorriane."

She stopped, taking a glance at me. "Yes, sweetheart?"

I pointed at the photo I was looking at. "Is this Zach when he was...two?" I asked her.

"Yes, I used to babysit him. He was difficult to keep up." She chuckled, recalling the memory before she even met me. "He wasn't handsome when he was real little, but now he is and dating your daughter," she sang out loud. "I'll go make the tea." With that, she walked to the kitchen.

While she was making the tea, I sat down on the couch, taking my glasses off. I cleaned them off with my shirt. As I was getting the specks off the lenses, I thought about the time when I first saw her at the back of the grocery store when she hit the werewolf into the dumpster. I have to admit, I was surprised just as the kids.

But when she got out the car, covered in poodle hair, I immediately saw how pretty she was with her blond hair, along with her blue eyes. Her smile always on her face... She looked better than my ex-wife when I think about it. In fact, me and her have been dating for a while, knowing we trusted each other. Well, I never told her about my past marriage I had, so I'm afraid to bring it up, frightened to get a bad reaction from her.

It wasn't the only thing I never told her. I never told her about Slappy. Actually, I don't even know if she knew about him. I told her about Hannah, telling her what she truly was when I was bringing her back for Zach. Like, will she end up dumping me when she finds out? The only people who know Slappy's released are my daughter and his friends, minus Hazel, whom I have to tell her soon when she gets better.

I know Hazel is gonna get ticked off at me when I tell her about him after I decided to get him out of the new book when he was crying out when I heard the monsters' angry noises. I don't know how she'll feel when I tell her she'll have to start school, not knowing what the response will be from her. Principal Harrison told me he'll be getting school supplies for her, and sign her up in the classes her friends are in, like my English class since both Zach and Champ are my students.

Thinking about it, it's kind of funny to be both Zach's neighbor and teacher, having me release a short chuckle.

Lorraine then came back with two mugs of tea, sitting down next to me, giving me her bright smile of hers.

"Here you go," she announced, handing one of the mugs to me. "I wasn't sure what kind of tea you like, so I made my favorite." I nodded, feeling the heat from the mug with hand, using the other one to grab the handle in order not to get burned. "It's mint tea with lemon and sugar." Hearing the tea flavor, I took a sip, trying it. "What do you think?" she asked as I took the mug away from my mouth. "Good?"

"It's not good..." Her face began to sadden. "It's great!" I exclaimed, expressing them out, her frown being replaced with a grin. "This tastes great...And I'm not even a tea person." I took another sip, setting it on the arm of the couch. "I'm more of a coffee person," I told her, hoping it doesn't spare her feelings.

"It's okay, at least you like the tea," Lorraine responded, placing her own cup on the coffee table before leaning back on the couch. "You should try my cooking, my sister and my nephew loves it," she expressed delightly. "Whenever I make dinner for myself, I always have enough for them too since they don't cook."

"They don't cook?" I questioned with an arched brow. "What about when you don't make dinner for one night?" I don't understand how both he and his mother don't make their own dinners. "Where do they get their food besides your cooking?" I wondered.

"They either have take-out or go to restaurants in case I don't bring food to them," she said with the same delightful expression. "Gale did cook the one time but..." Her nose scrunched up. "I don't mean to be offensive or anything, but her cooking...it tastes like…" She tried to come up with a good word for her sister's cooking. "Garbage," she managed to describe. "So it's the reason why those two order take-out when they get hungry."

"I see." I nodded. "Well, I can cook too. Hannah likes my cooking. Me and her will always sit at the dining table to eat and chat. Except when she's mad at me at times." I received a confused return from my loved one. "It's a father-daughter thing," I explained. She nodded, now understanding the term. "You remember how I told you my daughter used to be a ghost while I was working on my new book. During the first years of having her, I used to keep her away from people, including her kids who are her age because of my...dark secret." I sighed. "To be honest, when I told you about what I use to do for a living...about me creating my own friends to terrorize the locals...the time where I use to hate people all of my life...I thought you would leave me like-" I instantly stopped.

She noticed, giving me concerned eyes as she prompted me. "Like?"

"Like my ex…wife." I hesitated to tell her about my other past, but she gave me an encouraging look, urging me to go on, listening like had always done when ever I have any problems. "I used to be married," I told her, pausing to see how she'll react. "Then I found out she cheated on me," I went on after getting no bad intentions from her. "It turned out she didn't care for me at all. I remember her name, but I don't really wanna say it."

I felt her hand on my shoulder, having me turn to her. "I understand. I wouldn't want to tell my ex-boyfriend's name either. The fact is, he never gets any of my jokes from how serious he was. So when I found out we weren't a good match, I broke up with him."

Fixing my glasses on the bridge of my nose, I nodded. Having love can be difficult, even when you are having trouble finding your special someone, like me.

"I guess we have _some_ things in common. It doesn't matter about liking the same things or not. All it matters is being with you." Pink circles warmed up my cheeks when I said it.

Her face grinned back at me, her blue eyes giving off that sparkle before she offered me for something else. "You want a tour around this place?" I didn't have time to answer when she pulled me off my feet. "This the living room... Oh wait, we're already here!" she chortled, as she made her way to the kitchen. "Here's the kitchen. I don't have a dining room, so the table sits over there." She pointed at a lonely, round table with a single chair up against it. "I most likely will eat in the living room and watch some TV before bed." Turning, she went back to the living room with me following her as she made her way up the stairs. There, she showed me where her bedroom is. "My bedroom is right next to the bathroom." She gestured at the rooms. "Since my house isn't very big like the other houses where you live, it can get tight in this place if I put too much furniture."

"Do you want to stay over at my place?" I offered, but suddenly realize I made a mistake.

But before I can change my mind, Lorraine shook her head and declined. "I'm good living here, Robert, thanks."

"Okay. I was about to change my mind since I only have two guest rooms at my place. Also, you and me are not...ready to sleep together. Unless you know what I mean..."

"Yes, I know what you're saying, dear. I'm guessing you never had..."

"No. I hadn't. During my last marriage, me and my ex-wife were thinking about having kids of our own. Except we were too busy. That and...when I found out she didn't love me at all in the first place." I sighed, raking my fingers through my chest-nut hair. "...She only did what she did because she felt...sorry for me..."

Lorraine sighed, too. "She sounds like a jerk." Then she perked up right away, changing the environment within us. "Let's watch a movie; you can pick whatever you want?"

"Do you have any horror movies?" I inquired, the two of us making our way back to the living room. "It's my favorite movie genre, as well as Hannah's."

"Like I said, you can pick any movie you want. Including horror," Lorraine stated. "I don't want to put in the movie you don't like."

Once we got back to the living room, she took out some horror movies. "I don't watch a lot of horror movies," she admitted with no shame at all. "I'm more into comedy and romance films then these. Here." She placed the DVD boxes in my hands. "Choose whatever one you want to watch and I'll put in for ya."

Looking through the DVD's, I put down the rest, holding one in my hand. "How about this movie?" I suggested with loving smirk.

"_Psycho," _she read the title name. "Nice choice, dear," she commented. "Now sit down and let me put it in." We then heard rain pounding on her room. "Good weather to watch a movie," she said with playful sarcasm.

"It'll light up soon. Besides..." I looked out the window. "...it's raining too hard out there. It might get windy too. Luckily, I brought my phone with, so in case I'm not going home today, I'll inform Hannah."

"Good idea." Gently taking the DVD box, she opened it up, taking the disc out, examining it. "I don't think I've watched this one… Like I said, I don't watch a lot of horror movies, so I have no idea what this is about."

"You want me to tell you what it's about?" Lorraine's eyes widen when I said that. "I'm joking, I'm joking," I grinned.

Taking my rare sense of humor, she chuckled. "You got me there." Knowing how rare my humor is, I normally don't kid around or tell jokes all the time. I may have my serious side but it doesn't mean I don't have a humorous side inside me. It just takes time for me to use it. "The disc looks good," she observed. "I'm pretty sure it'll work." Going over to the DVD player, she used the TV remote to turn on the television, switching the channel for the movie. After, she picked up the DVD remote, pressing one of the buttons to open up the DVD player. The thing slid out where the DVD is placed on, waiting for the disc.

Putting the disc in, she stood back up, walking over to the couch and sat down, patting the same spot I sat on five minutes ago. "Sit down. I don't want you standing while you watch the movie." A grin came upon my face as I went up to her, sitting right next to her when I accidently knocked down my cup of tea, watching motionless when it spilled all over her rug. The tea turned the part of the carpet a brownish color, staining it. "My word..." was all she can let out, with both of us looking at the small mess.

"Lorraine, I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to make a mess." I jumped to my feet. "I'll clean it up."

"No, no," Lorraine demurred, shaking her head, getting up. "You sit down and watch the movie. _I'll _clean it up since your my guest...and my boyfriend." She motioned for me to sit back down on the sofa.

I sat back down and she went in the kitchen to grab some paper towels. I felt bad for what I'd done, but she knew I didn't mean to make a mess on the living room rug. I mean, I should be the one cleaning it up, knowing I'm the one who spilled my tea.

Plus, my OCD is starting to go up a notch. And before I can even start freaking out, which usually happens when something is not perfect, like when I have to check every new manuscript to see any crease or markings back when I used to write all the monsters I've made, Lorraine came back with some paper towels, humming to herself.

While she mopped up my mess, I couldn't help feeling embarrassed seeing her what she's doing, so I wasn't afraid to say it.

"Lorraine, I know you said I didn't do it on purpose but... I'm a grown man, not a child. Besides, you don't have to do that. It makes me feel...uncomfortable." I rubbed the back of my neck, messaging it a little. "You wouldn't like it when I clean up after you."

"Actually, I won't mind at all," she answered when all the paper towels are soaked from the spilled tea. "Plus, I'm getting a new rug soon," she added, standing back up. She went in the kitchen to throw the soggy paper towels away.

When she came back, she sat down next to me. The movie menu came up on the screen, having her press _play_ on the DVD remote. She then surprised me when she laid her head on shoulder.

"I'm glad you came over to see me, Robert," she purred with compassion. "I'm always here by myself all the time, never having any visitors. It's not a bad thing or anything, but it's nice for you to be with me."

I didn't know what to say after that moment. I felt happy being with her too, no doubt about it. I've always loved her at the very start ever since we got together.

I'll tell her everything, from my childhood up until now.

Since she found out I was R.L. Stine, she didn't hesitate when her nephew instructed her to go to the police station to send the cops to the high school to help us. Only she didn't come back until _after_ all the monsters were back in the book.

Oh. And the Horrorland theme park when I found out that the Invisible Boy was loose, so me and the kids had to trap him in _One Day At Horrorland_ book.

Never did I tell her about the Boy. Like I never told her about Slappy being out of the new manuscript. Actually, she doesn't know anything about him.

I'll tell her someday. For right now, I want to sit back and relax, watching the movie I chose with her.

"So," Lorraine spoke, "how's Hannah doing?"

"She's doing fine," I answered, my eyes on the TV, giving her a smile to show her I'm listening.

"And the other kids? Are they doing fine like she is?" she asked, moving a part of her hair out of her face.

"Zach and Champ are doing fine, too," I told her, flicking a piece of lint off my pants, letting it float away.

"What about Hazel?" I saw her turn her head to me. "How is she doing? The last time I saw her...she looked miserable."

I sucked in a breath, rubbing the back of my neck again. "She's...not doing well."

"Not...doing well?" She tilted her head. "What's wrong with her? I mean, how come she isn't doing well?"

I sighed. "For starters, none of us had never seen her smile or laugh," I began telling her. "When she told Hannah about her past, and Hannah telling me, me and the boys found out Hazel's god parents, the people who she used to live with before she ran away from them, treated her badly. It gave her clinical depression. Well… it started off like that until she kept having these sudden mood swings when she started snapping at us."

"Yeah, she snapped when I asked Champ on how he got his name," she recalled. "It shocked all of us too."

"Yeah." I nodded my head. "But before that even happened, her therapist kept switching meds since none of them work. So when her doctor combined two different pills. They worked for several months, having her smile... Until they stop, and she started having mood swings, getting all snapping like I told you. She even demanded to see a new doctor because she was picking up fights with her old one, so I took her to a new doctor, and he told her what she actually has. It turned out she has manic depression, also known as bipolar disorder, along with schizophrenia..."

Lorraine than halted me. "Sorry to interrupt, but she has two illnesses?" I nodded again. "So when she has two types of illnesses, did her doctor gave her new meds?"

"Apparently, no." A shocked look came upon her. "It's because they were so bad that her therapist doesn't even know the new meds will work for her. Not only that, he doesn't know which one has the most since the symptoms are the same," I quickly explained. "I should also say she has haphephobia..." A confused expression came upon her, having me explain what the word means. "She has a fear of being touched." I ran my hair with my fingers. "I...did hug her... But she didn't like it. She's never been hugged, Lorraine. Never. The reason she doesn't want to be touched is from all the beatings she's gotten when she was younger. She's also living with me since she _used_ to live and survive on her own."

"Is she still there? Maybe I can get her to smile. I make you happy all the time whenever we see each other." She gave me an example, showing me her gleaming smile.

"She's not at my house, she's at a mental hospital."

"A what?"

"A mental hospital," I repeated. "Long story short, she ended up hurting herself, so she's under suicide watch."

"I'm sorry to hear what she's going through," she apologized, showing care in her words. "I hope she gets better soon."

"I hope so too," I replied. "It took _hours_ to get her there since it's not in the town we live in. None of us know how long she's gonna be there, but we want her to get better soon. None of like to see angry or sad twenty-four seven."

Lorraine bit her lip, her eyes away from the movie. After a second, she spoke to me.

"Whenever she comes back home, tell her I'll be there for her. I'm one of the nicest people in town. So in case she feels down, give me a call, and I'll spend time with her. I'll take her to the places she's never gotten to go." She smiled at me. "I'll take her to that one resturant you and me want to on our first date."

"I'm sure she'll like that," I smiled back. "I bet she'll like the food they have there."

"Yeah..." After our conversation about Hazel, we went back to watching the movie. It's a pretty old horror movie. There was no color, stating what year it was made. It wasn't too scary, but it was sure is entertaining to watch.

When the movie was over, I got up from the couch, seeing the rain slowing down, along with the wind. I turned to her.

"I'll see you some other time," I waved in farewell.

She waved too. "I'll see you as well, sweetheart. Oh! I have something for you." She looked around a bit, pretending to look for it. "Here." She blew me a kiss.

I caught it, blowing it back to her, and she caught it with her hand. "Bye, Lorraine. I love you." My face turned pink.

"I love you, too," she returned. "You're the love of my life," she professed, her face showing the same color as mine.

After that, I walked out the door, the rain landing on my head and shoulders. "Maybe it'll clear up when I get home..." I thought outloud, going over to my car. I got in, getting the car keys out, slipping one them into the slot, and started the car, driving off her driveway as I made my way back to my house.

While driving home, I wanted to go back and tell her about Slappy. I wanted to tell her, but I wasn't sure if she knew him or not.

Sigh. I'll tell her when I'm ready, I told myself.

Let's hope she doesn't leave me when I do. I needed the right moment and the right time.

* * *

The rain stopped when I arrived home like I had thought. I parked the car, taking the keys, opening the car door, getting out, shutting the door in the process. I went up to my front door, opening it to see Hannah watching a movie.

"Whatcha watching, Hannah?" I asked, closing the door, hanging the keys on the hook on the wall, crossing over to the couch.

"_The Exorcist,_" she answered. "Zach was here," she then informed me. "But he left because of Slappy."

"Why didn't you text me?" The movie was almost at the end. "You know the rules about letting your friends in the house when I'm not home."

"...I guess I forgot…" She played with her hair. "I tried to get the guys to get along by playing a couple of games, and well..."

"They started arguing?" The answer caught her off guard, having her let go of her hair that was between her fingers.

She blinked, looking at me. "How do you they were fighting?" she questioned me.

I chuckled. "I'm your dad and I know these types of things. I can also tell the way you feel." I looked around the room. "Where is Slappy anyway?"

"Upstairs," she simply responded. "I guess he wants some alone time." When the movie ended, she took it out of the DVD player, placing the disc back in its box. "I'm going to make a sandwich, do you want one?" She waited for my answer before going to the kitchen.

I shook my head, declining. "No thanks, I'm good. I'm going upstairs to see how he's doing." Hannah nodded, heading her way to the kitchen. I heard her get the stuff out to make her sandwich.

As she was doing that, I went upstairs to the guest room. The one Slappy is in. However, when I stepped inside the room, he wasn't there. "Slappy?" I called his name. "Are you in here?" I heard him from the other side of the bed.

"I'm right here, Stine. What do you want anyway? I don't want to be bothered, I want to be alone for now. If you're wondering what we did when you left, we played stupid games. I won a _Wii Sport_ game."

"Really?" I was impressed, walking over to where was at, seeing him lying down on the floor with his knees close to his chest. "Are you feeling okay?" I asked with concern.

"I don't know..." Slappy softly responded. "I feel like rubbish..." he mumbled. "I know you want me to get fix...but..." He sighed, sitting up. "...it's for the best when I do. Maybe it'll make me feel better," he hoped.

I knelt in front of him. "Are you sure...? You don't have to get fixed right now."

"I wanna get fixed, Stine," he insisted. "I'll stay still, pretending not to be alive. I'm pretty good at it," he promised with hint of boastfulness, trying to be prideful. "Anyway, I'm really sore," he groaned. "All thanks to _them_," he pressed out, referring to the monsters. He carefully got up, his eyes on me, placing his hand on the bed for support, thinking he was going to fall over. "I'm not sure if you know any places, but in case you do, it _better_ not be a doll hospital."

"I don't know any places that fix things like you." Slappy didn't like my honest answer, turning away from me. "I can look it up on my phone, though." This got his attention, slightly looking back at me. "All I have to do is go on Google and look it up." He watched me use my cell phone as I spoke into it. "What places fix ventriloquist's dummies?" I caught glazing eyes from him when I said a certain word into the mic. "Sorry." He rolled his eyes at my apology. "Okay, let's see..." I scroll down the list, wanting to see if they have one in this town. "Aha!" I declared. "There's an old antique shop downtown. I can take you there to get you fixed. Sound good?"

"Yeah, sounds good to me," he released with a mutter. "Though you don't have to say the D word when you spoke into that thing."

"Then how will Google know what I'm talking about?" I replied. "Plus, I did say sorry."

"Uh-huh," he returned with another eye roll.

"Since you're made out of wood, I'm going to put you in a suitcase."

Not taking my joke, he snapped at me. "No! I don't want to be in a suitcase, Stine! I can go to the car without it. I'm not a normal-" He stopped. "You know what I mean," he stated. He stomped out of the room in an angry matter.

I breathed out of my mouth. "This better work." Standing back up, I made my way down the stairs, seeing Slappy at the door.

He has his arms crossed over his chest, tapping his foot on the floor. "Let's get going before I get any worse." The way he talked, it sounded like he was eager to get this over with.

I got to the bottom of the stairs when Hannah came to the room.

"Where are you going?" she asked with a half-eaten sandwich with tomato and lettuce between the white bread. "And why is Slappy at the door?" She ripped the sandwich with her teeth, chewing slowly.

"I wanted to get fixed up," he answered before I could. "I promise to stay still like a...uh..."

Hannah nodded, swallowing. "I know what you mean. You need to get over the D word." It didn't come out rudely when she told him that. "What kind of place you're going, dad, to get him fixed up?"

"There's an antique shop downtown," I told her, grabbing the keys. "I don't know how long we'll be there," I said honestly. "We could be there for hours, who knows?" I shrugged my shoulders before whispering in her ear. "It's gonna change is attitude once he's all primped up."

She tilted her head to the side. "Are you sure it'll improve his attitude?" she queried, the doubtfulness showing up on her.

I sighed, running my hand over my face. I'm not sure it'll change his attitude, so I gave her the only answer I can come up with.

"We have to find out later."

After my answer, I took the doorknob in my hand, reaching down to pick him up. I stopped - hesitating - ready for him to blow up with my hand inches away from him. He noticed, speaking to me.

"Go ahead. You can carry me to the car. I don't want to walk there anyway, even though it's not too far away."

"Are you..." I started to ask, but he held up his hand to silence me.

"I'm sure," he responded, holding out his arm.

I picked him up, feeling him flinch, probably due to the marks and scratches. I turn back over to my daughter. "We'll be back," I promised her. I got a nod in return since she took another bite of her snack.

With Slappy in my arms, we went over to my car. I grabbed the passenger side before stopping. "You want to sit up front?"

"Eh," he shrugged. "Sure. I sat at the front when I released the Haunted Car. Only because I was driving it."

"Yep." Opening the door, I place him in. "Put your seatbelt on," I instructed him.

"Don't tell me what to do," he quickly snarked with a growl in his voice. "Plus, I refuse to put it on me."

I shrugged. "Your choice." Closing the door, I made my way to the otherside, getting in the car. Closing my side, I buckled up, starting up the car. "At least no one can see you," I said.

He didn't say anything, placing his hand on his scarred up cheek, resting his clothy elbow on the door.

With the car roaring, we made our way to the antique shop.

I _really_ hope this will make him feel better.

* * *

**Note: Hey, for those are reading/following me, my Google Docs for some damn reason is not working. It's hard to explain. All I did was restart my laptop and for some reason, Google Docs, the place where I type each chapter, isn't working. I didn't lose my chapter, it's still there, but when I click on it... it won't be there. The whole page will be...blank...gone. The whole screen will be a complete white. Again, hard to explain. I don't know how long it'll last because I didn't do anything to it except shut down my laptop. So if it keeps this up... I don't know what to do. Now it's gonna be longer for both chapters/side stories to be up. I'm afraid to take it to get fixed, fearing I'll lose everything - like my Fanfic account.**

**For those who had the same problem with Google Docs not working, Private Message me. Chapter thirty is on there but when I click on it, well... I don't need to repeat myself, do I? I mean, I could redo my chapter on Fanfiction Document, but I don't know... I never had this happen before, and I refuse to take it to a place where they fix things like my laptop. **

**Yeah... I have no idea what to do for this type of situation.**


	30. Chapter 30: The Antique Shop

**Note: Well, it looks like I'm back to posting chapters again - a lot early than expected.**

* * *

**Chapter 30: The Antique Shop**

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

I pulled the car over at the side of the small building, observing it. Again, it's a small building, not very big. It was made out of bricks with shingles on the roof, a few of them seemingly to have been ripped off. One of them is hanging at the corner, ready to fall at any moment, when I saw something else.

There, on one side of the building, is a chimney, smoke coming out of it. It billowed the air, moving away with the breeze of the evening sky.

The window blinds were down, having me not see inside the building. I have a small sense of dread, thinking this is the wrong place when I saw a flashing sign saying _Antique Shop_. Well, since this is the place, why does it seem like it was never used? I wondered. I looked over at Slappy, shocked to see him sleeping. I know he said he'll stay still like a real puppet would do, but this is even better.

I turned off the car, taking the keys out, and placed them into my pants pocket.

Taking Slappy by the mid-section of his body, slowly picking him up as I got out of the car, not wanting to wake him up. I'm not sure he's in a deep sleep, but he didn't open his eyes, indicating me that was.

Quietly, I closed the car door. I almost dropped him in process, scolding myself for doing so. He is kind of heavy, no lie about it. I should have known since he's made out of wood.

Walking over to the building, I saw it was open. Huh. I was expecting to knock on the door in case it was closed during this time of night. Except it wasn't when I pushed the door open, the bell over me jingling.

Stepping into the building, there were lots of stuff from ancient items all the way to old furniture. Some dolls were lined up on the shelves next to some decor plates people use to decorate their homes.

A wolf statue caught my interest. I went over to it, seeing what it looks like from up close. It has its head up, ears down, the mouth formed into an O as if it was howling at the moon, giving me chills, reminding me about the werewolf.

When I wrote _The Werewolf Of Fever Swamp_, I thought it would be a good idea to have a dog - only wolflike. I never had a dog when I was a kid because my mom as an allergy to dogs. It actually goes for all kinds of dogs, even the ones with dogs with hair. I'm not a dog expert, but I learned that some dogs with only hair don't shed, and they're perfect for people when they have allergies to dogs.

But no, she didn't want any dog since she's allergic to every, single breed. So when I first made my werewolf, I was happy - until it tried to bite my bullies, giving me no other choice. I trapped him back into his book. I did made other monster animals, but I don't want to mention any of them.

"Hello sir." I almost dropped Slappy for the second time, startled to see an older man behind me. "Is there something I can do for you?" he inquired.

"Yes," I answered, recovering from my startle. "Do you fix wooden puppets?" I asked, holding out Slappy. "I had him for years in the basement because I used to be a ventriloquist back when I was a lot younger," I told him, making up a fake story. "I'm thinking about using him again to entertain children at birthday parties. Only..." I brought it back to me. "...he's all...tattered up. Do you mind giving him a fix?"

The guy came over to me. "Hmm." Studying my creation, he picked up one of his wooden hands, looking at the scratch marks. "I can fix him up with some wood fillings, give him a good paint job, and make him a new suit to match this one," he said, letting go of Slappy's hand.

I smiled. "Thanks." Having the guy take him, I stopped him before he went to the other room. "Keep the marks on his nose and chin, though, they make him look unique in a way."

He nodded before going to the other room.

Not knowing how long it's gonna take for him to fix up Slappy, I sat down on a chair, waiting patiently for him to get fixed.

It may improve his attitude or it won't. I just want Slappy to be...happy like he had during the first years of being out of a book.

Knowing what I did gives me grief. I should've kept him out, but I didn't know what else to do. I had to put him away, fearing what he'll do next. I even made other dummies, only they weren't too good, one of them being fairly aggressive who wanted to kill his younger brother from being released from a different manuscript when I tried rewriting Slappy into the world for who knows how many times since I have written a lot of books about him, only for him to be free from one book. And when I opened the new book I've finished, I was hoping it'll be him this time.

Nope. He wasn't. Like every time I try doing this, it'll either be a doll or a different dummy or anything else. It was Wally Wood.

Wally wasn't too keen when he was released from a different book, yelling at me about not being free from _Night Of The Living Dummy_. He told me he was the main villain, not Slappy because he was just a twist at the end. He would scream, yell, calling his brother horrible names, wanting to kill him, wanting to take out his anger on him.

I wouldn't let it happen, having him get pissed off even more. He wanted to hurt his little brother so badly when he was in his book.

However, back in Chicago, while I trapped all the monsters in their rightful books, I never found him anywhere. I had a feeling he would find me, and he did, after two weeks of moving into this state with my daughter.

I can remember what he looked like. He didn't wear the same clothes as Slappy's, bearing a green and flannel shirt, blue jeans, and white high-top sneakers. His face has a nose that seemed to be big with brushable fake hair color of reddish-brown.

When I first 'made' Wally, I didn't do it to replace Slappy. I would never replace him at all, even when I told him about it. But when Wally was released, he was in a bad mood right away, hating to be released from a different manuscript.

I tried telling him about Rocky and Dennis, as well as this evil doll I made before him, that they were out of their manuscripts, even though Slappy had been the main antagonist in those books. I also told him about the marionette puppets who were once free from their book, stating the fact to him, as well as this other dummy who looked like Slappy.

He wouldn't listen to me, hollering at me, having worst temper tantrums than Slappy. He wanted to beat him up because of how much he hated him.

Wally didn't tell me why else he was angry, despite the fact he was from a different book, causing me to have more fear of him rather than my other monsters.

I recalled him having green eyes instead of brown ones. Whenever he gets angry, they'll glow like a lightbulb when I refuse to give him his way.

Of course, he did do his job. But rather scaring the bullies, he'll try to murder them, which is why he was back in his book.

However, when he found my new home in Madison, I was surprised that he did, giving me daggering eyes full of hatred for his younger sibling.

I'm pretty much sure Slappy knew Wally is his older brother, except I wanted to ask to make sure. I don't want to make a fool of myself. But knowing Slappy, he isn't dumb to think he didn't have one.

I sat there on the chair, rubbing my forehead, the dark past coming to me, my eyes closed. Wally told me what happened when he released from his book, telling me what Slappy did at the mall in the state of Chicago.

With my eyes closed, I decided to take a short nap while I waited for my creation to get all fixed up.

* * *

"_You better release the little runt, Stine! He's the worst thing you've ever created in your entire life! I was supposed to be released from the first dummy book, not him! Unlock him up right this instant so I can beat him to death!" Wally glared at me from the living room, his eyes in pure anger, glowing green of how much hatred he shows for his brother. _

"_I'm not letting you take your anger out on him," I refused his order. "Now go back to your job." I pointed him out of the room._

"_RELEASE HIM FROM HIS BOOK, NOW!" he screamed in this very deep voice. "I want to pound him with my fists, beat him up. I want to destroy him!" he roared angrily. "It's HIS fault for being out of the Night Of The Living Dummy book!"_

"_Wally, stop it!" I now began yelling at him. "I don't want you hurting him. It's not his fault for being released from the book you told me. You should be glad for being out of a different book like Rocky and Dennis."_

_His eyes glowed brighter as he started exploding at me. "Glad?! I was the main villain in the first dummy book! You think I'll be sooo glad to be free from a new dummy book!?" He didn't give me a second chance as he kept on venting. "You think I'll be HAPPY for being out from that book and not the other one?! You've wrote me to be the main villain; the antagonist of the story! You wrote a part where I choked a family dog!"_

"_How did you-" I started to ask, but he explained it to me._

"_I found lots of spare ones down in the basement. That's how I know. Now get him out of the book!"_

"_No! I will not!" My voice rose in volume. "Just because you weren't released from the first dummy book doesn't mean you can hate your brother about it," I said sternly. _

"_Yes, I do!" he argued. "I can hate him all I want! I'm not going back to my job until you release the little rat."_

_I sat there, shaking my head no. "I'm not doing it, Wally." I crossed my arms to show him I wasn't going to budge. "Go back to your job. Keep an eye out for any bullies. I know they didn't come back in a while, but they won't stop coming over to bug me."_

_He breathed out of his mouth, the anger on his wooden face. "Fine," he finally spoke. "I'll keep you safe…" He walked out of the room, leaving me all alone._

_The clock tick-tock from the heavy silence. It was so quiet, you can actually hear a pin drop. It gives me the creeps._

_I got up from the couch, heading up the stairs to my study._

_There, I saw all of my manuscripts on the bookcase, sitting there, wanting to be opened again. _

_Going towards the bookcase, I slipped one of the books out, staring at the title._

_Night Of The Living Dummy. What could Slappy be thinking about? I wondered as I stared at the book, all locked up. He's probably mad at me, I assume, placing the book back. _

_Shaking my head, I clumped out of the room, going down the steps, making my way to the kitchen to make myself something to eat._

_Taking out the bread, I saw Wally sitting on the counter, watching me. He was always in the kitchen whether I'm with him or not. I don't know why he's always there, but he is, giving me shivers up my spine. Yes, I was afraid of him ever since he got out of the new book I've written to try bringing Slappy back._

_I miss him very much, and I'm afraid to free him again. I don't want him to go far with his stuff like last time._

_That, and because of his older brother. I didn't want him to cause any harm just because he didn't come out of the Night Of The Living Dummy book. It was no excuse for him to do such a thing towards him._

_While I prepared to make lunch, I heard rocks being thrown at one of the windows, hearing someone call my name._

"_Hey, loser, you think we're done with you after those dummies scared us off? Well think again." It was one of my bullies, the ones Slappy beat up, almost resulting them going to the hospital. The same bullies that keep bothering me, the monsters failing their jobs to keep me safe. "Come on, four eyes, get out here!" he ordered._

_I was frozen at my spot, my hand in the bread bag, gripping to two slices of bread. I looked at Wally, sending him my nervous expression._

_It seems like he read my thoughts. "Oh, I'll get rid of those bullies for you..." he sneered. He jumped off the counter, his shoes thudding the floor. "I'll make sure they're gone for good..." He teleported out of the kitchen when the lights flickered, along with the lightning overhead._

_I didn't like the way he said he'll get rid of the bullies, not liking the creepy smile he gave me when reassured me. It sent chills down my neck, the hair on my arms going straight up._

_I didn't have time to react when I heard screaming. No! What is he doing out there?!_

_Frantically, I ran out of the kitchen door, wanting to know what he's doing. My hope he isn't trying to kill them, but stopped, seeing how wrong I was._

_Wally had something in his hand as he attacked the bullies, yelling at them, ignoring their pleas as he tried stabbing one of them with the... My face ran cold when I saw a pocket knife in his grasp, wrapped tightly around his wooden fingers, afraid to move from my spot, like my feet were glued to the ground._

"_Shut up!" Wally let out an aggressive shout, his other hand wrapped around one of the bullies by his plaid shirt, the knife in his hand, the eyes glowing radioactive green. "Stay still so I can stab your throat." My mouth dropped open, shocked to hear him say that and, at the same time, scared, my heart sinking at the pit of my stomach. Did he really just said what I heard him say? I couldn't answer my own question when he punched the guy in the fast with him crying out in pain. "I said, shut the hell up," he hissed, sounding like venomous snake you'll see in the wild. "I'm only doing this for my creator who released me from different book, only because my stupid runt of a brother was free from the other one!"_

_I couldn't take it anymore. "Wally, stop!" He froze, turning his attention to me. "Get off of him!" I ran over there, ripping him off one of my bullies, my hands gripping tightly by his midsection with him trying to break free. "Stop it!" I cried, avoiding his kicking shoes. I ran into the house, leaving my enemies behind, getting back into the kitchen, throwing him across the room, the knife clattering on the tile floor right next to him, inches away from his hand. _

_Before I can open my mouth, Wally glared at me. _

"_Why did you do that!? I was getting rid of those bullies!"_

"_By trying to stab one of them in the neck!?" I returned in pure shock and disbelief. "What makes you think that KILLING them will send them away?" I questioned. "You almost murdure them. You're supposed to SCARE them away, not try and kill them!" I was upset to the point where tears began brimming at the corners of my eyes. "You know what?" I spoke. "You don't deserve to be out of your book. I always wanted Slappy back, only instead of him, a different monster - a wooden puppet - gets out of the manuscript. I should've known what you've wanted to do."_

_The glare didn't leave him as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "Then get him out the book! Since you don't want me to stab them, than how about you let my frickin brother out? I can stab him for all I care!"_

_I banged my fist on the door. "That's it! I had enough with your hatefulness around your younger brother! He didn't do anything to you, and you don't give a crap about him!"_

"_You're right, Stine, I don't give a crap about him." Slowly, he stood up, picking up the pocket knife, and slipped it into his pocket of his jeans. "But it's not nice to keep us apart." He shook his head. "No, it isn't. Now..." He sucked in a deep breath. _"_**...GET HIM OUT OF THE DAMN BOOK SO I CAN GIVE THE RUNT A PIECE OF MY MIND!" **__He smiled creepily, sending more chills down my spine. "He's made out of ink, Stine, he won't die when I stab him. He's made out ink like me."_

"_I won't let you hurt him!" Running to the stairs, I kicked him out of the way in the process. I heard him growl when he landed on the floor, with me scrambling up the steps, almost falling down during the process, running my way to the study._

_When I got to the room, I grabbed his manuscript I had left on my desk next to the typewriter, getting the key until he appeared in front of me, taking one end of the book tightly in his hands, tugging it with me tugging back._

"_Let go of the book, Wally!" Only he was too strong for me and I kept a good grip on the book, too, refusing to release it. "I have no other choice, I don't want you to hurt anyone ever again. Especially to your younger brother."_

_He let out a scoff. "Does he even KNOW he has a big brother who wants to torment him? If he doesn't, I'll laugh."_

"_He may not have met you, but it doesn't mean he won't know you!" With a final tug, I got the book out of his hands. "I rather for him NOT to see you and you not to see him. Never," I proclaimed, my voice filled with both fear and bravery. I unlocked the book and, without a second dispare, Wally got trapped in the book as he let out a protest. _

_I didn't hear what he said when I shut the book tight, locking it up._

* * *

My eyes snapped open from the dream from the past when Wally was out of his manuscript. It's like how I remember it. His aggression towards Slappy, getting close to killing my bullies, it came back to me in a dream. That's what he exactly happen. Ugh... Why did the past came back like a dream? I shouldn't be worried about him anymore, knowing he won't get his hands on my...favorite monster I ever made.

It sounded like I'm protecting him from his older brother from how much he wanted to hurt him from the most stupid thing in the world. Like, he shouldn't be this hateful around his sibling. Hell, Slappy's never even met the one doll that got out of the manuscript, thinking it'll be him and not _her_.

Man, why did it not go through me every time when I try to bring him back? All the books do, the ones starring my most evilest creation, is release a different puppet. I swear, if I have another dream like the one I had seconds I ago, I'm going to scream at the top of my lungs. Nah, I won't do that. Plus, Hannah never likes to see me angry, seeing how much it upsets her.

Getting up the chair, I rubbed my face, the memory of Wally in my head, bouncing the inners on my skull. It gives me the creeps, no lie about it. I mean, I did my best to bring Slappy back, like I did with Hannah. Except it'll never work, letting me...give up from the whole thing.

Speaking of failing to get him back, I had the exact same thought with my daughter.

During the time after the monster invasion, Zach had not been himself ever since she was locked in the new manuscript he had to help finish when my fingers got broken from the typewriter. I should've left Hannah out of the story so she won't have to be gone, but I have to put all the monsters, trap them into the book. I was probably not thinking straight, worried about what the monsters were doing to the school when it got destroyed.

So when my fingers are healed, I began writing one more book to bring her back, knowing how desperate I am for doing it.

It took me weeks to finish the book, spending hours typing with either coffee or energy drinks to keep me awake. Though I did took breaks here and there, like taking a nap or watch movies. I even spent time with Lorraine, and on our first date, I told her about my daughter, explaining to her she wasn't real.

Luckily, she didn't get mad at me, taking it very well, telling me she can't wait to see her again. She too, also notice how her nephew's been acting, saying he looked like a zombie from a movie. He won't even smile, walking around the house whenever I come over to visit, his mom passing by. He will give a quick grin, but when she's out of whatever room, it'll be wiped off his face. I can tell he didn't want his mom to worry about him.

He told me losing Hannah was like losing his dad from the car crash. Only instead of that, he lost her from a book.

After several weeks, the other new book has been completed. I was worried about what will happen, praying for Hannah to be free from place of hell.

It did, however, worked. I saw her and she saw me. It looked like she was stun as I am when me and her are facing each other.

I was shocked to see all the scratch marks and bruises, indicating me that she's been running away from all the monsters before she even got caught from Dr. Maniac and Purple Rage from what she had told me.

It makes me ticked off from what the monsters and Slappy had done to her. Actually, I'm going to have to tell him to apologize to Hannah like he has to do with Hazel once he's all fixed up.

While I did another look around, the same guy came up to me with a grin on his face as he spoke to me.

"He's all finished. You can see him if you like," he told me.

"Great," I replied smiling.

He pointed at the open door he walked out of. "He's right in there," he directed. "I hope you like the fixing I did," he said.

"I hope so, too." Walking towards the door, I opened it a bit further, seeing Slappy on his back on the counter, lying perfectly still as I approached up to him. "Slappy?" I spoke, keeping my voice low.

"Huh?" He blinked, sitting up. "Yeah?" He noticed me staring at him with a reaction of a dropped, open mouth. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, not knowing how to react back.

I shut my mouth, responding. "You look great. It looked the marks weren't even there at all. I'm impressed by the guy's work on you." I let out a chuckle. "I did told him to leave the marks on your chin and nose because..."

"Because they make me look unique," Slappy completed my words. "Just because I was keeping still like a real puppet would do, doesn't mean I shut off my hearing, Stine." He then quickly laid back down, being all limp, having me confused until I saw the man walk in.

"Well?" he asked. "I kept the chipped marks on the chin and nose, and fixed the rest. Along with giving him a new suit to match his old one."

"He looks terrific," I declared. "I can't wait to perform with him like in the old days when I first got him. Thank you so much," I thanked, shaking the guy's hand.

Letting go of my hand, he set a suitcase down on the counter. "You can put him in here. The paint is all dry so you can take him home now."

"No thanks," I shook my head and declined. "I'll carry him to the car without the suitcase."

"Okay." He took the suitcase back, scratching his chin. "He does look familiar..." I saw the look of thinking. "I swear I have but I don't remember..." He studied him before turning to me. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but... this dummy looks exactly like Slappy from the _Goosebumps_ books my children like to read."

I sighed, but not in an annoyed way. "Yes, this here is Slappy." His eyes bugged out from the information. "I'd bought him off of Ebay and he is, in fact, from the books _I've _written. The person I bought it from builds puppets like him so... I ordered him online. He's was expensive, no lie."

The buggy eyes didn't vanish. "You're R.L. Stine!?" he proclaimed. "My kids are big fans of you, always begging me to take them to bookstores to find any new books you've written. They even wrote their own _Goosebumps _stories, especially the ones with Slappy who is their favorite."

"Heheh," I chuckled. "I've written a lot of books about him. He's my favorite too from all the other monsters I've written over the years."

He chuckled too. "Well, they're glad to have all of your books. They're only about six and seven when they started reading their books. Speaking of kids, do you have any?"

"I've got a teenage daughter who I adopted."

"How nice of you. Does she have a mom?"

"No." I shook my head lightly. "She doesn't have any parents before I took her in, which is why I adopted her. Anyways." I picked up Slappy off from the counter. "I've gotta get going. I have to get home to make dinner."

"Okay, be sure to put him somewhere else where he won't get tattered up again," he advised me.

"I will," I promised, walking out of the shop, making my way towards my car. "You did it again, Stine," I smiled, happy to be such a good liar about Slappy. "The guy may have found out right away that you're a writer of the _Goosebumps_ books, but he never truly found out that Slappy came out from a book from your magic typewriter."

By the time I got to my car, I got in the driver's seat, setting him on the passenger seat. "Ready to go?"

"The guy called me the D word," he muttered, ignoring my question. "He called me the D word!" he shouted, this time being very clear.

I got out my keys and started up the car. "I'm sure he didn't mean to." I got out of the parking lot, driving on the road. "How are you feeling anyway? Better?" I asked, wanting to make sure my hunch was right.

At the corner of my eye, he slumped in his seat. "I don't feel like rubbish anymore like I predicted..."

"Then why do you look upset?" I questioned, stopping at a red light. "I thought having you fixed up will make you happy."

"I am happy, Stine," he answered, lowering himself even more, looking like he was about to slide down off the seat at any moment. "But I don't like it when people call me the D word."

"I wish you can get over it..." I spoke, showing a hint of annoyance. "By the way, I do have one important question for you."

He turned to me with raised brows. "What do you want to ask me about?"

I shifted in my seat, tapping the steering wheel, waiting for the light to turn green from the passing cars. Then, I asked him the question, forcing it out of my mouth. "Do you know you have a brother?"

The look of surprise came to him when he answered me. "Yes, I knew I had a brother... I had him help me get revenge on you back in the bookstore of Chicago. He didn't seem all too happy to see me, though when I got him out of his book..."

"Do you want to know why he didn't seem happy to see you?" The light turned green and I began driving, explaining to him. "It's because Wally Wood came out of a different manuscript instead of the _Night Of The Living Dummy_ one." He gave me a harsh glare. "Sorry, it's what the book's called. In fact, I was trying to bring you back like I did with Hannah." Turning my head a little, I saw his brows way up on his head. "Only the results didn't work because a different monster will be released, even though you've been the main villain in those books. I wasn't trying to replace you, I was trying to bring you back. But after the, I don't know, the millionth time, Wally got out of the book, and _you're_ name was on it. I swear, Slappy, I didn't want to replace you, but I didn't want to let you out of your manuscript again from how cruel he is towards you, saying he wants to beat you up." I paused for a short moment. "He even told me what you did to him at the bookstore two weeks after me and Hannah moved here while you were in your manuscript."

Slappy didn't say anything. All he did was sat there, thinking about the time back in Chicago. "...I wanted his help," he finally spoke after a moment of silence. "So I just did it. Also, I didn't know you were trying to bring me back. I thought you always hated me from all the things I've done in the past. I thought you weren't my..." His voice began breaking. "...favorite anymore."

"You are still my favorite," I said, wanting to show him I really mean it. "I only locked up because you got out of control. In fact, you were the one I can talk to from all my other creations. You were always there for me when I need it. And also... you don't have worry about your big brother. I made sure he's locked up and stored away."

"Is he pissed off for what I did to him?" Slappy responded, sounding very uneasy.

"Yes…" I sighed, adjusting my glasses. "I'm...not going to tell you what he tried to do while you were in your book again. Oh, and you have to apologize to Hannah for what you've done to her in the new manuscript."

"Do I have to?" He seemed to whine about it. "I don't think she'll except my-"

"She will," I assured him. "You told me you and her were playing Wii together, with you winning. It seemed like she adjusted you quite well. It may take time for the boys to do the same."

"What about Hazel? Will she forgive me?" He waited for my answer, so I gave him one.

"I'm not sure, Slappy." I did a small shrug. "She won't be too happy when I tell her about you and she may not forgive you right away from what you did to her, but...she'll get used to you. It may not be right away, but she will someday. I'll prepare to tell her about you being out of the book whenever I have to bring her back home from the place she's at," I promised.

He smiled at me. "Thanks... Stine."

Smiling back, I used one hand, patting him on the shoulder. "You can call me papa if you like."

"Alright...papa. And I'll apologize to your daughter, including Hazel. I want to start fresh and not cause anymore trouble."

I nodded, taking my hand away from him, placing it back on the steering wheel as we continued on our way back to the house.

* * *

By the time we got home, Slappy made sure the coast was clear for before he got out of the car, jumping off the, landing on the grass perfectly, pushing the passenger door closed. He walked over to the front door with me following him, getting over there.

"Nngh." With a grunt, he jumped for the doorknob, inches away from his hand, missing it. "I hate being short," he muttered, jumping up again, failing the second time around. He turned up to me with an embarrassed. "Get the door. Please."

I smirked, opening the door, letting him in, following right behind, shutting it behind me. "Hannah!" I called from the bottom at the steps. "Slappy's here wants to say something to you!" I hollered, hanging the keys on the hook.

"I'll be right down!" her voice hollered back. I saw her walk out of her room, making our way towards us. "Slappy has some- Whoa!" She stopped halfway down the steps, observing him from her spot. "Wow, Slappy, you look... great," she complimented, walking the rest of the way down.

"Thanks..." He looked away, his face turning pink. "Hannah...I'm sorry for what I did to you in the book. I was...mad at papa for locking me up again with my so called friends, who aren't anymore so..." He lifted his head to her. "Do you forgive me?"

I watched as she stood there, thinking over his apology, wondering what she's going to say. I know she'll forgive him right away. She forgave me when she got trapped in the new book right after I got her out of there. Then her lips curved into a grin, kneeling down at Slappy, giving him a hug.

"I forgive you." She released him. "You'll do the same for Hazel, right?" she said, biting her tongue.

Slappy sighed softly. "It won't be easy, but I'll do my best. Papa said she may not forgive me right away, along with me being out of the place I call hell, but… I'm hoping to make changes."

Hannah seemed to understand what he means from wanting to make changes in his life, putting all the bad memories behind him. She brushed her hair behind her ear as she spoke. "Would you like to come into my room?" she surprisingly chirped an invention. "We can hang out, talk to each other about stuff," she smiled.

Slappy wasn't sure what to say as he looked at me, like he asking me if it was okay for him to be with her. "Uhh..." He didn't even know what to say, stunned for being invited to her room.

"Go on ahead." Beaming, Slappy went up the stairs, passing by both me and Hannah, running to her bedroom. I shook my head, grinning. "He seems happy," I remarked, taking my glasses off, cleaning the lenses with my shirt.

"And a lot better," Hannah added, scratching her head. "Have you told Lorraine about him yet?" she asked, ready to head back upstairs.

I place my glass back on my face. "Lorraine has no idea about him, Hannah. I'm not sure about her seeing him in case she saw him or not. During the monster invasion, the police hadn't come to our school, telling me something must've happened to her while she was at the police station." I bit my lip, wondering what could've happened when she was there. Like... was Slappy there at the same spot she was? I don't want her to leave me in case she did see him… It would ruin my relationship with her if she found out about him. "Go on upstairs with Slappy," I told her. "I'm gonna make dinner." I motioned for to go on up in which she did, the stairs making clomping sounds as she made her way up to her room.

Making my way to the kitchen, I stopped over at the cabinets, opening one them. I grabbed a pot off from the shelf, putting it in the sink, deciding to make spaghetti for dinner. I filled the pot with hot water for the stove to boil faster.

Putting it on the stove, I turned it up to medium high. I grabbed another pot - a smaller - from the first cabinet, placing it on the other burner. I went over to the fridge, taking out the tomato sauce, checking the date like I always do before cooking any food for expiries. No way I want my daughter to get a stomach virus for out-of-date condoms.

Looking at the date, it seemed good to me use it. It says here it won't expire until the first of June. I opened up the jar, taking the lid off, being hit by the nice smell of the sauce, invading my nose. I then went back to the stove, dumping the sauce, making sure it gets into the pot and not all over the stove.

After all the sauce is out, I turned the other burner on before throwing the jar away into the trash can.

I opened up another cabinet, grabbing a box of dried spaghetti noodles, setting them on the counter next to the stove, leaning against, waiting for the water to boil.

* * *

**Hannah**

* * *

I sat at my bed, patting the mattress. "Climb on up." I was doing well at being nice to Slappy - even though he's a monster who basically destroyed the town, but I won't bring it up anymore. "Or do you need help?" I asked, wanting to make sure in case he does or not.

"I think I can climb up here without a struggle," he replied, taking a hold of the covers. With a strong pull, he hoisted himself on the bed, sitting down across from me. "You want to talk about stuff?" he mentioned, unaware of what the term means.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Has dad asked you anything while you guys were at the antique shop?"

"When we were driving back home," Slappy began, "he asked me if I know if I have a brother. I said I do know, telling him my brother wasn't all too happy to see me when I unlocked his book back in Chicago. Stine explained why my brother doesn't like me..." He turned away from me. "I wanted him to help me to get rid of papa. Despite him hating me, he agreed to help me. So when we got to the mall, I..." I can tell he didn't want to finish, placing my hand on his shoulder, having him turn back to me.

"You don't have to tell me unless it makes you feel uncomfortable. Do you know what his name was?" I took my hand off of him when he responded.

"...I...don't remember his name. Honestly, I don't. He did told me in the car, but I wasn't paying much attention even when I looked at him - at my, I mean, our papa. I remember him being my brother. It's been five years since I saw him, explaining why I don't recall his name." He shook his head in slight disgust. "I should know his name, he told me. I feel dumb now for not knowing his name anymore except for being my brother."

"You can ask my dad after me and him are done eating dinner," I suggested. "You can stay in my room while we eat and you can read my books." I gave him a chuckle. "Just don't destroy my things," I joked, hoping it doesn't get him angry.

"I won't destroy your room. Plus..." He surveyed the spot where he's at. "...you do have a nice room," he commented, doing his best to be nice. I can tell it wasn't easy him for being this way for all the bad things he's done in the past. He wasn't used to being like this whatsoever for him being an evil monster created by my dad so it's going to be a while until he gets used to it. That, and for the changes he wants to make in order for him to get reformed. "I always thought all girls room are pink," he continued talking, taking his time to take a good look. "It's the same color from all the other rooms... except for the mystery door on the ceiling."

I tilted my head. "Mystery door? You mean the door leading to the attic?" He gave me a confused expression. "It's a room where we store things," I explained, grinning as I did so. "We place things such as decorations for different holidays, old stuff my dad used to use, and other sorts of things."

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I was up there when me and dad first moved in here. He told me to put something away. I never explored up there as well as the previous attic back in Chicago."

Slappy didn't reply, possibly thinking about the things he's done. I want to help him with the changes he wants to make, but he probably wants to do it on his own. I don't care how long it takes as long as he keeps his promise, like not opening any more manuscripts that I put away when me and dad first moved into this house before I met Zach.

"How would Hazel feel when she sees me?" His question caught my attention. "It just...the way she saw me the first time, she nearly hate a heart attack," he clarified, recalling the moment in the study room. "I'm starting to wonder if it was from me..."

Knowing how bad he felt, I gave him an advice. "You could do things for her to gain your trust. You can make her bed whenever she's not here, you can watch movies like you did with me and dad, you could do anything to get her to approve your changes. She won't trust you right away ever since what you did to her, but she'll come around soon."

He understood what I was saying, nodding at every word. "...When will she come home from the place she's at now?" was his next question.

"I'm not sure… It may take a while for her to get back home from the mental hospital. Only, she'll get better soon. To be honest, the way she snapped at me when I was talking to my boyfriend, I'm worried she'll hate me. She's like a sister to me." I put on a friendly smirk. "And since you're now calling dad 'papa', you might get to be the _big_ brother for her, too, since I was created after you from the special typewriter." I got up off the bed as I went over to my bookshelf, pulling out a book when I heard my name being called.

"Hannah! Dinner's ready!"

"Coming, dad!" I hand the book over to Slappy. "You can read this while I eat. I don't know if it'll offend you from what the title says, but..."

He took the book out of my hands. "_Monsters From A To Z. Learn About The Legends Of These Creatures Who Once Roam The Earth_." He thought for a moment. "Does it have the D word in here?" He sounded doubtful to be reading this type of thing in his hands.

"I read the book once and never saw the word you dislike," I answered. "My dad gave to me for my first sweet sixteenth birthday when he home schooled me, wanting me to be more educated about the monsters he made," I explained, showing no interest. "I didn't want to but he told me I have to know about each and every one of them."

Understanding, he opened the book, reading the first page. "It...looks interesting. The book will remind me of my 'friends', but I'm not going to think about them anymore. Or at least try to." He raised one of his brows. "This drawing is impressive," he complimented, seeing all the details of the artwork of the monster.

"The illustrator did a good job with the drawings," I agreed when he gave me a curious stare. "An illustrator is someone who does the drawing for the books. At least, not all of them. Not all books have drawing in them like the _Hunger Game_ books I like to read."

"Hannah, are you hungry or not?" Dad called up from downstairs. "Your dinner is getting cold. I don't want you to go to bed with an empty stomach." When he was receiving answer from me, his footsteps came up the stairs into the hallway. "Hannah." I turned to see him standing at the doorway of my bedroom. "Are you going to eat? I made spaghetti for dinner," he informed me before seeing Slappy with a book. "You're reading, Slappy?" he directly asked him.

"Well, I have a book in my hand so it looks like I'm reading, right?" Slappy didn't look up when he replied to my dad, almost sounding somewhat irritated from the ridiculous question from my father.

Dad seemed somewhat embarrassed from the question he gave him. "You don't have to say it like the way you said it... I was only asking. I never saw you read before..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say next.

"Papa…" Looking up from the book, Slappy gave him a bit of lowered wooden brows. "...just because you never saw me doesn't mean I _can't _read," he said. "I'm not stupid, you know?"

Turning towards dad, I saw him let out a little laugh. "No, you're not stupid, Slappy," he returned. "So are you going to eat?" He's now gazing at me through his glasses.

My stomach rumbled, having my face turn slightly red for being kind of loud. "Yeah, I am." He then left the area. Before heading downstairs to follow him, I faced over to the puppet. "Please, don't ruin the book," I articulated. "I don't want dad to kill me when he sees a small tear on the book, got it?"

"Got it," he affirmed, placing his head on my pillow, his eyes on the book.

Turning around, I walked out of my bedroom door, making my way to the dining room to meet up with dad for dinner.

* * *

Dinner was quiet during this time of night, probably because we're thinking how much Slappy can change. It won't be in a snap, but he'll change for sure, just like he promised. Though he is a villain, it's his first time ever keeping a promise. My dad and I aren't going to cold hearted around him for eternity. However, it won't be the same with my boyfriend who always gave him a disgusted look, refusing to even try to get along with him.

I'm worried about Hazel meeting him again face to face as I ate my dinner in deep thought, wondering what she's doing. She probably misses us badly, having me wonder if she has separation anxiety since some people have it. But knowing her, I believe she's doing okay over at the place she is in now.

However, a question came into my mind. "When are you going to tell Lorraine about Slappy?" I didn't mean to say it out loud, it just came out.

"Uhh..." My dad set is fork down on his plate he had finished. "I...hadn't told her," he told me. "I want to tell her, I really do. Only...I'm not sure... I want to tell her, but I'm worried that those two might've of met. Do you remember when Zach told her to go to the police station to send help at school?" Of course, I remember, nodding my head. "Well, no cop ever came," he continued, staring down at his plate. "I have a feeling something happened to her while she was there," he theorized with full concern over his girlfriend.

I don't know what to say after he spoke. I have a hunch she'll scream in fear once she sees Slappy again. I'm sure she'll start throwing things like I almost did when I discovered him being out of the book with all the monsters trapped inside of it who turned their backs on him. It makes me feel bad for him for what he went through in the new book, but it's no excuse for what he did to the town and all the people. They basically had the clean everything up after all the chaos from all the monsters he released in order to get back at my father.

Finishing up, I got up from my seat, taking my plate over to the kitchen sink, rinsing it out. Then I put my dishes in the dishwasher, being reminded about the lawn gnomes, giving me a good shiver. They may look cute, but they're deadly things.

When everything is in the dishwasher, I went back to my room, seeing Slappy with the same book in his hands.

"What letter are you on now?" This must've startled him because he almost jumped when he saw entering.

He sat up, placing the book wide open, turning away from me. "I'm on A still. I'm...on the page which reminds me of my...friends." To show me what he meant, he picked up the book, letting me see a big, white furry monster with its mouth open. It was an Abominable Snowman, being all scary on there. Slappy put the book down. "He was one of the monsters who attacked me," he sighed, tossing the book at the other end of the bed. "Are you guys done eating?" he then asked.

"Yeah, we're done," I responded, taking the book and putting it away. "You can ask my dad who you're brother is."

Thinking about, Slappy slid off the bed, leaving my room before stopping at the doorway. "Thanks for letting me read one of your books," he turned and politely spoke in his best, nice mannerism.

I smiled, seeing how well he's already changing. "You're welcome. I'm glad you didn't destroy it."

"Glad I didn't…" With that, he left my bedroom, his shoes clomping down the hallway.

* * *

**Slappy**

* * *

I found papa in the kitchen, washing the pots in the sink filled with soapy water, humming a tune to himself when he spotted me standing there.

"Hey there, Slappy," he noticed grinning, rinsing out one of the pots as he placed it on the rack. "Is there something you want?" He rinsed another pot, getting all the soap off. He then drained the sink, switching on the garbage disposal.

"No, I wanted to ask you something," I answered after waiting for the noise to go away from all the grinding, almost giving me a wooden headache.

"Oh?" Papa dried up his hands with a paper towel. "What is there you need to ask me?" he questioned in full interest.

Here I go... "What was my brother's name?" By the time those words came out of my mouth, I waited for his reply.

"Are you saying... you don't remember?" he answered, tossing another question at me. I can only shake my head, explaining it to him.

"It's been five years. The only time I met him is when I released him from his book. He never told me his name since I asked him, but he refused, saying I don't need to know."

Papa sighed, rubbing his eyes. "His name is Wally. Wally Wood. I already said his name when we were coming home from the antique shop," he finally said in a very unhappy tone. "He's one of the worst dolls - no offense - I ever made."

I arched up one of my wooden brows. "One of the worst dolls?" I don't understand what he meant. "What do you mean by those words?" I couldn't help but wonder. "And I guess I wasn't paying enough attention when you said his name to me in the car... I knew I had a brother, so when I heard you say Wally Wood... it came back to me after you told me his name for the second time."

He stopped rubbing his eyes. "I'll tell you someday... As for right now, let's watch a movie. And it's okay, you basically need to pay more attention when I'm speaking with you."

Even though I like watching movies with my papa, I decided to do something different this time. That, and to pay a lot more attention when he's talking to me, knowing I need to work on it. "How about we watch regular TV?" I suggested, smiling about the idea.

"Regular TV?" Still grinning, I began heading to the living room. "I guess that means 'yes'," he chuckled from behind me as I heard him come over to the same room with me waiting for him with the remote in my hand I had grabbed from the coffee table. "Remote?" He held out his hand, and I gave it to him with full respect instead of being a pain like I used to be. "I have Netflix," he stated, taking a seat on the couch, turning the TV on. "You can pick any show you want on there." With the remote, he went onto Netflix. "Here." He handed the remote to me. "Pick _any_ show you want to watch."

Taking the remote back, I quickly figured out how to navigate it. I went onto Search, pressing one of the letters. The letter G. And the first thing that came up is a TV show similar to the books he's written.

Want to know what it is? Alright, I'll tell you. It's... _Goosebumps_.

"Do you want to watch it?" I couldn't answer him. "You can pick something else." He leaned against the couch.

"No, I'll watch it," I said, pressing the TV show, and started watching the first episode - _The Haunted Mask Part One_. "It may remind of my friends..." I took a seat next to papa. "...only I'm not going to let it affect me."

Seeing how confident I was, he let me watch the show before it was time. The Haunted Mask from the show almost looks like the one from the book.

After watching some other episodes, I gave papa a goodnight wave before teleporting to the guest room I'm staying at.

In the guest room, I have no trouble getting onto the bed from feeling all better from getting all fixed up.

While laying there on the bed, underneath the blanket, I began thinking of how I can get the others to know I can change.

Eh, I'll figure it out later. As for right now, I needed a goodnight rest.

And that's what I did.


	31. Chapter 31 Jackson Departs

**Chapter 31: Jackson Departs**

* * *

I awoke to the sound of birds chirping at the window from outside with me pulling the covers over my head, refusing to get out of my cot from being all snuggled and warm from the blanket, clutching the teddy bear close to my chest, afraid I might lose it since it's Hannah's toy, knowing I'll have to give it back to her whenever I can go home.

Home… A place where I want to be right now, even though I'm not better yet. I have to wait, and so far, I'm doing pretty good at staying at this place where they help people get back on their feet. I may be here for a long time, and who knows? I might get to go home early someday. As for right now, I don't want to get out of bed, feeling secured and protected by the cover.

Unlike the one back at my god parents house for being all thin and scratchy, practically the whole blanket being made of some kind of wool from a sheep, as well as adding the fact that the bed there wasn't comfortable, feeling like rods located inside the mattress in the dark room where I slept alone where I used to try to ignore the sounds…

This bed at the mental hospital is a lot better. Much more comfortable with lots of softness, which is the reason why I don't want to get out of bed yet. I know all of us, including me, have to start our therapy sessions, but I didn't want to go. It almost like I wanted to stay here…

With the blanket blocking my view, I shut my eyes, thinking about sleeping for the next five minutes when I felt someone lighty shaking me, startling me to the point where I flung from the blanket, the stuff bear barely falling to the floor. I caught it in time, setting it on the other side of me to see Jackson.

"Hey," he spoke softly, like he wasn't sure if I was up or not. "Ready to eat?" he asked, using his fingers to comb down his messy hair. "I went over to the cafe, seeing them making French toast," he informed me, placing his hand back down. "Unless...you like French toast…"

I rubbed my eyes when my stomach rumbled, my face turning slightly red due to how loud it was. "Yeah…" I answered with a stifled yawn, doing my best to wake up more. "I like French toast. It's one of my favorite meals back when I used to live with my real parents." After some stretching, I took my medications, both for my manic depression and for my schizophrenia. I'm not sure by taking two pills at the exact time is a good idea for being new - well not new - to two types of medications I need to take everyday, even though they'll work in a week or two.

Taking out a B12 vitamin pill, I was about to put it in my mouth when I remembered something. I have to have food in my stomach before taking it. So I told Jackson I'll be at the cafe, telling him I need to change clothes.

He smiled, understanding I need my privacy in order to put new clothes on. Even though there's a bathroom to get dressed in, I'm too lazy to use it. Instead, after he left to wait for me, I locked the door and closed the curtains of the window.

Pulling out a shirt and pants, I quickly took off my old clothes, tossing them on my bed. I put on my pants, buttoning them since it has a button to keep them up. I was about to put on my shirt when I heard knocking on the door, followed by a voice.

"Open up the door!" the person on the end demanded, the knocking getting louder by the second.

I instantly froze at my spot, the shirt in my grasp. It was Trevor! What the hell does he want with me now?! I can't unlock the door simply because I'm in my pants, along with no shirt on. I slipped it on super fast, making sure I have it on right. Then I went over to the door, standing there. I took a deep breath and spoke.

"What in the hell do you want, Trevor?! Had you have enough with me? Can't you see I don't want you bothering me anymore? How about you leave me the frick alone this instant?" I could feel him standing there, waiting for me to open the door. "I'm going to call security," I warned, hoping he'll get the hint.

I expected him to bang on the door some more. But he surprised me when he busted it open, breaking the lock, the door flying to wall, leaving a dent mark on the wall.

I let out a scream, his hands on me, pinning me on Jackson's bed. "Why didn't you open the door?" he snarled in full aggression.

"Get off me!" Using my feet, I kicked him in the stomach. "I was getting dressed. You don't need to see me without clothes on." I kicked some more until he finally released me from his grip, letting me sit up to see a disgusting smile on him.

The nasty smile never faded, playing with my hair. "I like to see girls without clothes on."

The way he said it made my mouth drop open. "You know what?" I got off the bed, slapping his hand off of me. "You don't have an ego problem; you're an insane person!" I spat angrly, getting grossed out by him. "I bet no girl ever wanted you."

"Yeah?" he scoffed with an eye roll. "How about you date me instead of Jackson? He's not the type of guy you want to have."

"Leave him out of this," I growled, balling my hands into tight fists, ready to punch him at any second. "You can't tell me what to do. Now leave me alone." Saying it didn't scare him off, and I decided to use a different approach. "I'll tell the people who work here you invaded my privacy when I was getting new clothes on." I turned around, facing away from him. "Plus, I'll never date you the way you treated me."

He can only send me a cold stare behind my back as I made my leave, heading my way to the cafe, giving me a chill throughout my body. I knew he hated me from being told on a couple of times by the adults who work here for being such a jerk towards me, reminding of someone who was in my dream I had several times, the dream being vivid.

I don't know why I had those types of dreams. I mean, dreams aren't real. They're part of your imagination when you sleep. They're either good dreams, bad dreams, and in some cases, nightmares. I never had nightmares. At least, not that I know of. I did had a flashback dream when Kelly screamed in my face for 'breaking' her vase even though it was completely Trevor's fault, telling her I did it in order for me to get beaten by his horrible father. Actually, all three of those people are horrible, making my life a living hell.

Knowing something else, I hadn't thought of my god brother in a short time; a couple of days. I wanted to know why he gets me in trouble, wanting to know why his family treated unfairly. Yes, I wasn't their biological daughter, but it's no excuse for the way they acted towards me.

I have a strange feeling I'll meet him - Trevor - someday from the dreams I had, all terrified in those.

Shaking my head at the silly thought, I brushed it off, continuing my way to the cafe, the vitamin pill ready in my pocket, my stomach hungry for breakfast.

* * *

When I arrived at the cafe, everyone was already at their tables enjoying their breakfast, talking and laughing, while I searched for Jackson. I spotted him waiting for me, gesturing his hand for me to come over to him.

With my cheeks blooming, I went over to him, finger combing through my hair and let out a sigh once I got up to him. I grabbed a tray, ready to eat. "Let's get our food," I kind of mumbled, stepping to the kitchen.

"Hazel?" I stopped, turning to face him. "Are you alright?" he asked in concern, taking a tray from the tray pile. "You look uncomfortable."

I hung my head. "It's nothing, Jackson. I'm fine…" I grabbed a box of orange juice from the basket, setting it on my tray.

"You don't look fine…" Jackson observed my mood, placing a box of grape juice on his own tray. "Tell me. What's wrong?"

Letting out another sigh, I bit my lip, taking a plate of French toast with no syrup on it. I wasn't sure how to tell him from how embarrassing it's going to be from all these other people eating their meal. However, I don't want to keep it to myself, and finally, I told him. "Trevor...was bothering me again." I lowered my head, making my way to the table - our table - near the window with him right behind me.

Sitting down in my chair, I picked up my fork, taking pieces of French toast. I put it in my mouth, chewing slowly as he sat across from me. He placed his tray down, ripping the straw off from the side of his grape juice box. Tearing the plastic off the thin straw, he poked it through the hole.

"Trevor was bothering you again?" he answered, sipping his drink. He put it on the table. "What did he do to you this time?" I can only shake my head, my face turning into a red tomato. "Come on, Hazel, you have to tell me," he insisted, like he was ready to beat the crap out of the guy. "It's not a good idea to keep things to yourself."

No matter how inappropriate it was, I mustered it up in order to tell him the truth. "Trevor said he likes it when girls don't have...clothes on."

"What?!" The fork dropped out of his hand, clattering onto the table top. I can tell he was shocked and disgusted at the same time. "Trevor is insane!" People are now staring at us from their tables when Jackson exclaimed out loud. "Doesn't he realize it's not right? Oh, I'm going to tell on him…" His face scrunched up in pure anger. "This dude needs to be kicked out of this place." Getting up from his chair, he was about to leave when I grabbed him by his shirt.

"No!" I cried, ignoring the staring eyes of everyone else. "The more you tell on him, the more he's gonna hate me!" Tears came to my eyes, fearing the worst of what's going to come. "Don't tell on him again. Please! I-I don't want you to-"

He took my hand, lightly prying it off of him. "He's going to keep it up unless he gets told off," he reasoned. "Besides, I believe he has enough time here. You're not the only girl he bothers. Let me tell an adult to what he said to you, alright?"

"Alright…" Jackson's reassurance calmed me a little. "Don't be too long or else your food will get told." I tried to say it the best I could, but the thought of Trevor's inappropriate meanings ae stuck in my head. I watched him leave, sitting back down at the table. Him leaving made me feel...alone… So I turned my head away, staring out the window.

Gazing from here, I ripped a piece of my French toast with my fingers, eating it every now and then. I know I can simply use my fork, but since my French toast has nothing on it, I decided it wouldn't hurt not to use any utensils. It's not like I'm in a nice, fancy restaurant everyone likes to go to. Especially the snobby, rich people who only care for themselves.

I finished half my plate, picking up my box of orange juice, doing the same process Jackson did. Ripping the straw off the side of the small box, I poked it through the closed-up hole. I took out my B12 pill, placing it in my mouth, underneath my tongue in case it had a bitter taste like my other pills.

For being such a tiny pill, I took one small sip of my drink, tasting the fresh squeeze of the orange flavor. I don't drink a lot of juice, but I do like the flavors of each one. I'm more of a water person, knowing it's important to put it in the bloodstream to keep the person from dehydrating, even though it's March - the cold season.

Setting my juice box down, I put a hand on cheek, resting my elbow on the table top, inches away from my plate. I went into deep thought, letting my mind go into a complete blank. I rather have nothing in my mind, feeling duller by the minute. I'm surprised I have friends who actually care about me for who I am. Most people would avoid others who are like me - a boring, unspirited, un-fun living individual soul. I can only wish to be happy again like I used to when I had my real parents.

It faded away when I started living with my god family. Now my mind is being filled with those people, seeing their hateful looks inside me. I wanted to go to them, to give them a piece of my mind, show them how I really feel. Only… I don't want Kelly to steam at me, don't want Jeff to hit me, don't want Travis to...touture me whenever he spotted me.

My god brother is the person I've been dreading for the most. I remember what he looked like, what he wore…everything. He wasn't a normal person like everybody else in the whole world who always towers over me, getting me into trouble… It makes me hate him and his family even more.

The more I think about them, the more hatred I felt for those jerks. I don't know why, but it seems like there will be a day where I'll end up meeting them somewhere… Or it could be my own, wild imagination.

Huh… I should write a story on the writing website Jackson talked to me about. What was it called? Wattpad? Except, I don't have a laptop or a computer to write my story. It won't be a long one. I want to write a short story, to give people my childhood life of what had happened to me, like all authors do when they write about themselves.

"I hate my life…" I put my head down and muffled, my hair draping over my arms lightly. "What did I ever do to them?" I began questioning, keeping my tone down where no one in the room can hear me, referring to the people I lived since I was five. "How comes they disapprove of me? I never did anything to them, other than the fact than living with them right after the car crash, killing both my real parents."

I had my head down for a while when I heard someone coming up to me. At first, I thought it would be the bothersome jerkface, avoiding him when he spoke. "Hazel." Getting my attention now from the familiar voice, seeing Jackson in front of me. "I told the lady at the front desk about what Trevor said," he informed me, rubbing the back of his head. "Although, there's something I have to tell you…"

My head shot up, catching his hesitation. I knocked down my box of orange juice, springing up from my chair like a ball. "What? What do you want to tell me?" I don't like the way he's feeling, making me feel anxious.

Dropping his hand to the side, he bit his lip. It only took him a few seconds until he finally gave me his words. "I'm...leaving…"

My mouth dropped open in pure shock. Leaving?! Already?!

"But-But-But I just met you several days ago!" I exclaimed loudly, the tears welling up in my eyes. "Was it because of me?"

"No, no, no. It's not because of you," Jackson assured me, seeing how upset I am. "The reason why I'm leaving is because I'm feeling a lot better. The lady at the desk told me to pack up my belongings." He couldn't leave the eye contact he was making with his silver colored eyes right at me. "It's alright, Hazel…" he comforted me, placing a hand on my shoulder, with me gazing away from him, locking my eyes on the floor.

I can only shake my head, the tears falling from my face. "It's not alright." I did my best to talk without me breaking from inside from my heart. "It's not fair either…" I sniffled, my nose running, starting to get more upset. "You got better faster than I did." My eyes went all gloomy, the emotion for him getting stronger. I never felt this way before in my life, not counting when Stine assured me he was going on a date with Lorraine.

Seeing how upset I was, Jackson gave me a simple, nice hug. I can sense the spark between us, feeling the embrace from his arms. I never flinched like I had last time when being contacted this way where I refuse any touching of any kind. There's something more to this posture, giving my heart warmth…

Releasing me, he stepped back with a full, loving smile. "You'll do fine without me…" he continued to assure me, wanting to make sure I understand. "You might get a new roommate too." I guess he expected me to feel a lot better by the way I'm feeling. A frown came upon him when my sadness towards him didn't fade away. "Well, uh, guess I better start packing my things."

As he was about to go, I stopped him. "Wait. I'll help pack your things," I sorrowfully stepped up, the unhappiness all around my aura. My face bloomed after I volunteered, thinking he can do it by himself. "Actually, I know you can do it by yourself," I bet softly, brushing my toa on the smooth, hard floor. "You don't need my…"

Even though he knew I was flustered by the fact where I want to help him, he simply smiled. "You can help me; no problem. I just need to grab my cup at the art therapy room. I want to see what it looks like." He jogged away, barely bumping into two girls. They don't seem to mind, more likely distracted by something else. Also, they were the same girls who sat at our original table.

They saw me looking at them, giving me a warm smile, sending me friendly waves. They don't look ill to be honest. I'm not trying to offend them for being the way they are, but I believe it's a good idea to go up and ask them why they're here. So with a deep breath, I went up to them. "Excuse me?" I began to say. "I hope this doesn't offend you with this question, but, um, why are you here? In this mental hospital, I mean."

They both turned to each other, the one biting her tongue, chewing it. The second girl released a sigh. "We're here for being tortured back at home," she said, now avoiding me.

I gasped, unable to believe what I had heard from her. "You were _tortured_?" I exclaimed, the shockness with me, replacing my depression. "What did they do to you?" I asked concerningly.

The first girl hung her head. "They beat us…"

"Beat you?" I questioned, starting to feel about them.

"...every night," the second girl added mournfully. "They never liked us, so we came here for help. They're in jail now, letting me and my sister not to worry about them anymore." A sigh escaped from her. "The problem we have is trying to find a new home. The people who work here suggested we should stay at a foster home, but...we don't want to."

"We're afraid we'll separated from each other…" the first girl feared, showing it clearly. She then looked at me. "Do you have parents?" she suddenly asked.

I felt a lump in my throat, wanting to be forced out of my mouth. Taking a deep breath, I manage to swallow it down, taking a deep breath.

"My real parents died in a car crash a long time ago when I was really young - too young to start school. I ended up living with my god family, a type of family who are friends with the child's real parents. They take the child to give them lots of care in case they can't live with any of their other relatives. Only… My god family are not kind at all. My god mother will scream at me, my god brother will tell lies to his dad, also known as my god father, to beat the crap out of me. Eventually, I ran away when I was around five years old."

When I finished, both of them couldn't believe what I had been through. One of them sparked a tear in her eyes, quickly wiping them away.

"We're sorry to hear that," she compassionately stated, feeling bad for me. "That's the reason why you're here?"

"I'm actually here for my mental illnesses I have now." I pulled my chair over to theirs, leaving my food behind. "I'm not afraid to tell you what I have. I have manic depression and schizophrenia, which means I change moods a lot and see or hear things that aren't even there," I explained the meaning behind those illnesses. "To me, it's from god family and the kids back in kindergarten who made fun of me from the books I like to read," I believed.

"Books?" The second girl perked her head up with an interest form. "What books do you read?" she inquired, moving a part of her hair away from her left eye.

I drummed my fingers on the table, somehow feeling nervous to tell them about the book series I always enjoyed reading when I was really young. The girls I'm chatting to seem to be older than me, around in their early twenties. I don't want them to laugh at me as I slowly told them what I like to read. "I like to read… _Goosebumps _books."

By the time that word slid off my tongue, both girls dropped their mouths open, like I said something bad. Finally, the second girl broke the pause around us. "You read _Goosebumps _books!?"

"Is there a problem about it?" My mood shifted into a sliver of both anger and guilt, knowing right away I shouldn't tell them about the books I enjoy. "If you girls criticize the series - my favorite series - you should get up and walk away. I don't need to hear what crap you have to say about my favorite thing in the whole world ever since I was little." I huffed out a breath, upon waiting for them to say anything else.

When I thought they're going to laugh and point their fingers at me, I was surprised when the second girl explained her reaction. "We read the books too."

"_Used_ to read the books," her sister corrected the term. "We stopped reading them about when we were around twelve," she added, directing her head to me. "Since our parents have been horrible around us, they took the books, burning them."

"Wait." I raised my hand to stop her for a quick second. "How old were you were you when you came to this place?"

"Me and her were twelve when we came here. We grew up in the late nineteen-nineties. We started reading those books when me and her were ten years old, finding them at Barnes And Nobles for only a dollar. They were cheap back then before the prices went up."

"Yeah!" A beaming smile came on the first girl's face. "We would go there everyday after school. We would then hide them in our room - under our beds, thinking our _terrible _parents would not find the books." The smile slowly faded away from her. "We thought we can out smart them for how strict they can be around us… But...they found them...and toss them in the fire…"

"Why?" I never meant to interrupt, I was...shock to say the least. "Do they know how important those books are? Do they know who wrote the books?" The girls lowered their heads with no response. "Your god forsaken parents can't burn the books! Do they know who Stine is!?" I felt eyes on me when the pitch of my voice picked up. "He's the writer of all of those books! Those people who are your parents shouldn't-" I cut off my own ramble, calming myself down for the anger not to get the toll of me. "Your parents are cruel…" I grumbled in a mutter tone.

They both agreed with nodding heads when I felt someone standing next to me. Looking over to the right, my face blushed when I saw Jackson with two cups in each hand by the handles. He forward the purple cup, the one I made, towards me. "Here. Both of our cups are done."

Both girls giggled, their hands over their mouths, seeing the handsomeness all over him. I think all the girls have crushes on this dude at this place. It's starting to make me...jealous.

I stood up, taking my hand-made cup. "Thanks." The two girls giggled some more as my face grew warmer. "Stop it," I hissed at them, ceasing their submitted laughs. "I know he's cute-"

"Ooo!" the first girl expressed. "Did you say he's cute? Because he sure is!" Giggle. "Only it seemed he found the one." The one? "Well, me and my sister gotta go to our one and one therapy sessions." But before she left, she stuck out her hand. "I'm Cindy, by the way."

"And I'm Jenny," her sister piped up, giving her hand to me as well.

I shook their hands, the fear of being touched still there, but not badly as it was before. "Hazel." They both smiled at my name. "I'll...I'll be going now," I departed, walking backwards, then spun around, heading to the sleeping room.

* * *

Helping him with the packing, I couldn't help but to feel upset about him leaving, feeling like we had just met since I first came to this special hospital when Stine dropped me off. To me, it wasn't fair for him to leave before I do. I wanted to get better faster, but it the meds say they would work within a week or two.

Maybe my illnesses will decrease in a week, I hoped, handing over some pair of jeans to Jackson, who stuffed them in his suitcase. However, my therapist back home _did_ told that some people get better faster than others.

This got me jealous to the point where I want to call Stine, demanding him to come pick me up. Only it wasn't a good idea to do so, knowing I'm better than that. He gave his phone number to the front desk lady for her to call him when they believe I'm all better, which will take time. I haven't been here at this place for long unlike others who would be here for years, having me feel bad for them.

After helping my crush pack up his things, he grabbed the handle of his suitcase with one hand, while using the other one to grab his flute. He saw my sad expression, giving me a hug.

"You'll be fine," he assured me into my ear, his breath going down my neck. "Besides, you'll get a new roommate. And hey, I bet the new one will be friendly as I am." I knew he was trying his best to get me to smile, except I remain this way.

Sighing, I backed up from him. "You should get going…" I advised him. "I don't want to be late for my therapy session with Dr. Snyder."

"Okay." Walking to the doorway, he stopped. "Do me a favor, please. Do me one favor - smile." He grinned as if to give me an example. "See you this way makes me upset too sometimes," he said. "So please smile for me when you return back to Stine's place. Do you promise?"

"...I promise…" I barely mumbled, knowing for a fact it'll never work, though I'll do my best. "See you some other time, Jackson."

"See you some time later too." Sending me a wave, he walked out the door, his stuff in tow.

After he vanished, I let out another sigh, walking out the door to get to my therapy session, seemingly to drag myself there.


	32. Chapter 32: The New Roommate

**Chapter 32: The New Roommate**

* * *

"You look more upset than ever." I was sitting at the chair across from Dr. Snyder, nodding my head when he commented on my mood, with me unable to hide it as I played with my hair, kicking my feet back and forth. "Why are you upset, Hazel?" he asked, crossing his left leg over his right.

I stopped playing with my hair, pausing my legs in a still manner, shifting in my seat. "Jackson left…" It hasn't come out clearly, but he heard it.

"You're upset because Jackson left?" I gave him another nod to answer him. "Well, it may seem hard to deal with it at first for a while. A lot of other people's roommates will leave, having others feel upset as you are right now. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll miss you too. I bet he'll be waiting for you when you leave this place." He gave me an encouraging smile, except it never helped when an awkward silence fell between us. It didn't last long until he broke it. "Okay, um, let's continue on so you can go to your group therapy."

Even though I never said anything to answer him, all I can think of was Jackson on how he left me. I know he'll never do it on purpose, it just hurts me like a ton of bricks getting taken off the wall of a house.

Looking down at my feet, I wondered who will be my new roommate. Will this new roommate me nice to me? Or will this person be cruel to the point where he - or she - cannot stand a girl who's always dull, not to forget dull looking as well.

I wanna go home, back to Stine and Hannah. I want to start fresh, starting off with going to real school, to try again. Really. I'm not even kidding when I thought about the first time around, this being my second time thinking about it. Going to school online won't help me learn things like English to Math classes unlike the stuff I learned back in kindergarten, quitting around mid-September where it was basically warm during that time of the month.

Sitting there, I mostly gave my therapist nods to yes or no questions until he got to more of the deeper ones where I have to talk. These types of questions are difficult to answer to the point where I began to get overwhelmed, causing him to stop at an instant to the point so I won't get anxious, along with gripping my hair, ripping some out of my head, the stranding in my fingers.

One of the deeper questions is about my god family, the memories I wanted to forget flooding back to me, the ones I want to forget forever - even the dreams of Travis, hoping - praying - for him not to come to my life. I don't want to me him nor his parents ever again, knowing for a fact of what will happen to me.

Actually, the more I think about them, the more anxious I get. Grabbing more of my hair, I pulled down on it, creating a painful sensation, like it was getting yanked by a vacuum cleaner. It reminded on how Jeff would grab me like this, taking me by the hair to drag me to the room where he can beat me, begging him to stop hitting me with his leather strap.

Remembering the beatings caused my body to ach where he had whipped me - like my side where I get most of the bruises from his so called weapon. I don't know why the people I lived before I ran away hate me, but… I believe they won't remember me…

To me, for all the things they've done to me, is...not right. Releasing my hair, I asked this to Dr. Snyder. "Is there a word where a child gets beaten by any kind of parent?" I was afraid to get the question out, but I did it.

He doesn't answer for a long time, getting me worried, knowing how dumb it was to asked such a thing. "Yes." Hearing this, I lifted my head up to see a sorrowful face all over him, including in his eyes. "The word you're looking for is abuse," he stated matter of factly, uncrossing his legs, setting both feet down on the floor. "It doesn't sound like you were getting punished for the things _you_ never did."

I crinkle my brows together, unaware of what he was talking about. "You mean...what Jeff did to me wasn't punishment? Then why does he always hit me?" The thought of it made my whole body shudder.

"He could be angry about something, who knows?" Shrugging his shoulders, he bit his tongue. "I don't know what will get him angry; it has to be something. It's not your fault for your god parents to treat you poorly, along with their son blaming you things you've never done."

I wasn't sure how to respond to the speech he gave me, wondering what he said is true. Hmm, I should write a story about this, about my past life, where people can get to know me better. It can be, not a long story, it can be a good story where it's not too long and not too short, letting people read it, viewing my personal life I've been through.

I'll put the people, not my real parents, my god family in the story, using their real names instead of fake ones most writers will do.

"Our time is up," he suddenly announced. "Go on to group therapy before you're late," he ushered me. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Getting up from my chair, I gave him a slow wave. "Yeah...see you until the next day…" I wish I can leave right now. It's not a bad place, though I do feel homesick from time to time.

Don't worry, Hazel, I began to reassure myself, walking down the hallway to group therapy. You'll return to Stine someday to have a much better life.

Although, for some reason, I cannot help to think of this...other person… It's not Travis, it's someone else… someone made out of… wood…

Nah, it couldn't be him I'm worried about. Stine promised me he'll never let the evil dummy out of the new book he got trapped in with the other monsters. It sounds...silly to think about him doing such a thing, breaking a promise he made.

Shaking the wooden being out of my mind, I finally reached group therapy, seeing I was the second person to be here, taking a seat next to a boy with ruffled, black hair, reminding me of a sponge you use to wash dishes with. He wore a dark green shirt, dark brown sweatpants, and blue shoes with red laces tied together.

My first instinct was to say hi to him, to tell him my name. Only he seemed not to be interested in saying hello, the way he's avoiding my gaze, like I'm some kind of creature from underground. He looked shy from the way he's acting, picking his skin off his fingers, letting a piece fall lightly to the floor.

I wanted to tell him not to pick on his skin so he won't get an infection. Except I don't want him to think I was a rude teenager, keeping my thoughts to myself in order for him to ignore me, fearing he'll lash out on me when I say something to him - like skin picking, knowing it's a bad habit, adding with nail biting and lip picking.

I used to pick on my lip a lot when I used to live with my real parents, ripping lip skin off where it'll end up bleeding a little, leaving a small scar until it stops. Luckily, I would get praised to where I won't do such a thing, getting a treat such as going to the candy store to buy all my favorite candies, like chocolate.

So turning to face him, I held out my hand, and introduced myself. "I'm...Hazel…"

The boy ignored me, flicking his thumb underneath his pointer finger, chewing the inside of his mouth, as if I'm invisible towards him. It doesn't take long for him to respond to the greeting I gave out.

"My name's...Leo…" It came out soft, although I manage to hear him. "I'm new at this place," he told me, squirming in his chair.

"Is there a reason why you're here?" Even though it's not my business, I was just curious. "I'm here for my illnesses to get better as well as suicidal watch."

"Oh, I'm...sorry to hear that." He never looked at me, like he was afraid to. Maybe he wants to be left alone, which is fine by me as long he isn't being… "I know I'm being disrespectful, but I'm not good at talking to other people. It makes me…" He gulped, covering his face with his hands, trying to hide from me.

Knowing how he feels, I placed my hand on him, getting his attention. His eyes moved to my direction, keeping his hands inches away from his face. He shook my hand off, standing up from his chair, going over to a new one.

Wow, he seemed super upset about something to make him feel this way. Did he get abused? It's something I wanted to ask him, even though it's a hard thing to come across when meeting someone who's this upset. The misty eyes of his couldn't fool me. Guess I'll have to wait until art therapy.

So I sat there, waiting for the others to come to this room to start group therapy, wanting to know more about the newcomer, my curiosity getting the better out of me.

When everybody came, they all sat down, chatting with one another with such happy mannerism while I, sitting in my chair like a fool, kept on eyeing the new boy known as Leo. I like his name, something I never heard before. I don't remember a kid from my class called Leo in my entire life span. In fact, I don't remember _any_ of my old classmates when I quit school at a young age.

Standing up, I approach Leo, going over to him. Keeping my hands to myself since he won't shake any of them, I cleared my throat, my face full of...nothing. It got his attention, seeing me there in front of him. "Hey," I tried again. "I have a hard time talking to people too. Well, used to be hard until I made a few friends outside of this place before I came here."

He seemed to understand, tugging at his shoe laces, wrapping the loop around his pointer finger. "I'm guessing you want to know why I'm here, huh?" he responded, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. I opened my mouth to tell him I'm in no interest to why he's here, except he beat me to it. "I have...social anxiety and panic disorder. I have a hard time walking up to people like a normal person would do," he explained, feeling both comfortable and uncomfortable about talking about his weakness. "I've been like this when I was in second grade." Finally, he manage to pick his head up. "You look serious," he commented, noticing my lips downwards in the same facial expression I have for all these years. "Is it bad for me to say…"

"That I don't smile?" I bobbed my head up and down. "Don't worry, I've been like this since I _used _to live with my god family." He parted his mouth. "I rather not talk about them anymore," I quickly stated before he can say anything. "I want to forget about them as long as I live."

I hoped I never come off as being a rude person, expecting him to get offended for not letting him speak. He didn't, however, as he scratched his head. I can almost sense he wanted to say more, and before I can ask him, he spoke.

"What room are you in?"

My brows raised up when hearing his from him. "What room I'm in? Like where patients sleep during the night?"

"Yeah… I have room D12…" He trailed off when my bottom jaw dropped down, leaving a shocked expression on my face. "...what…" Seeing this from me made him feel uneasy. "Was it something I said…?"

Snapping out of my trance, I vigorously shook my head, my hair whipping from side to side before settling down when I stopped. "No, it wasn't something you said, it's that...you have room D12?" I did my best to hide the surprising feeling all over me, refusing to look like a fool. "I'm in room D12," I exclaimed, despite not showing it considering the serious look plastered on my face, wishing I can be like this in a more...positive way like what most people would feel when hearing something like this.

A grin broke out of him, showing a bit of his teeth, looking like pearls you'll find inside an oyster on a beach. "Cool…" was all he can say in a low tone. "Am I your...first roommate?" He seemed to hesitate when asking this.

Not wanting to lie, I shook my head. "No, Jackson was my roommate. He left a while ago because he's well enough to go home."

"Ah, I see…" Biting his bottom lip, he looked like he wanted to say something. I can already see it in his head, the things he wanted to spit out. Finally, he did. "You said your name is Hazel...right…?"

"Yeah…" I answered. "And your name is Leo. Why?" I questioned, taking a seat, my heart pounding in my chest, ready to explode at any minute.

Swallowing, he slowly gazed at me, chewing his bottom lip more intensely than ever. His body seemed to sag when he was able to spill out what else he needed to tell me.

"I'm one of your classmates."

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

I waited for my first class to get here, tapping my foot on the floor, drumming my fingers on my desktop. It was still early, so none of the classes are ready yet with all the teachers preparing for their first set of classmates like I did.

On the first day of school, I actually came in late to be honest from getting Hannah back for her to reunite with Zach, who is one of my students, an hour away from the day ending. That, and I have to wait for my daughter to get ready to see, for what you can call, her true special someone.

It never occured to me overtime where I wanted her to have a boyfriend. Actually, I made sure she stayed away from everybody - even boys - while she was a ghost; a dead person, I should say. I never wanted any kind of boy near her, afraid they'll know my dark secret, fearing they'll spread rumors around my first town of Columbus, Ohio, along with the other places we've moved to, avoiding people as much as we- I mean, I can. The last place we moved out of Chicago, and, boy, was it a nice place to be at until we had to move.

Of course, my daughter wasn't too happy about it, except she had no choice. We packed up, I called the moving company, they came, got our stuff, and me her drove off in the car, knowing we'll have to stop in some hotels to stay at for who knows how long it'll take to get to this state we're currently in now.

We may not be near a beach, though I would like to go there with everybody. But it's March, too cold to go to the ocean to have fun.

Soon the bell rang and kids poured into the room, laughing and talking. Two boys throwed balled up pieces of paper at each other like they were dodgeballs at a gym as they made their way to their desks near the windows. They continued on until I loudly clear my throat, getting them to stop, pausing them like I would do with the TV when I'm watching a movie.

I stepped up to them, eyeing the two young men. My mouth formed a creased, tight frown on my face, lowering my brows as I gave the boys strict looks through my glasses.

These two boys are known to be trouble makers, throwing crap all over the room such as balled up paper from their notebooks, needing them to take notes for all their classes. They'll even chew gum in my class, chewing it loudly to the point where I'll tell them to throw it away in the trash can. I won't tolerate any food and candy in my classroom whether they like it or not.

Tolerating with paper throwing isn't an option either. The boys can only stay frozen at their seats when one of them had the courage to speak.

"Hey…" A smile came over him very awkardly me. "Me and Jared are fooling around is all," he told me, freeing the crumpled up paper. My eyes followed it as it bounced on the floor, barely touching my dark work shoes I wear when I'm working. Though, I always wore dark shoes throughout my entire life. "Yeah, we decided to, you know, mess around…"

"Clean this up." Shutting him up, I pointed down at the floor. "These are _your_ papers, boys, you pick them up and throw them away. I'm not letting the janitors see this mess you guys made."

"But-"

"Now!" The way the tone was given off, both boys got up from their seats, knowing I meant business, picking up all their papers, tossing them into the trash can. I have to admit, they do have skills with getting all the smashed up papers into the trash can without walking up to it. They can be troublemakers from time to time, but deep down, they're good kids. They're also helping with the _Spring Dance_, which I'm happy about.

By the time all the papers are picked up, they got back in their seat. "You're welcome, Mr. Stine," Jared said, with me unable to thank them first. I may be a strict, stern like teacher for those who see me like this, thinking I wasn't the 'fun' type of teacher. I can be a great _and_ a strict teacher. It depends on how I'm feeling.

The feeling I got as for right now is being stern with certain students for my English classes who cause lots of trouble in this school, receiving detentions like I had to do with one of the boys from my last set of children who argued about the homework on the second day of my job, telling me I shouldn't do that simply because I'm taking over their original teacher who is still recovering from injuries from one of the monsters he got attacked by when the school went ransack with all of my evil creations I made in order to keep people away from me, including my daughter.

My class talked on and on, mostly talking about the dance, wondering who'll ask them out to the event. Some wanted to know who'll be the special entertainment.

Raising my hands, I silenced them. "Let's all settle down," I said, keeping my tone at the right vibe; no yelling or anything at the matter. "You guys can talk about the dance _after_ school. We need to get started on class." They all nod respectingfully, opening up their ears. "Great," I grinned. "Take out your homework from last night and I'll take them off your hands."

While I waited patiently for all of them to get out their homework, I saw one of them with her head hung low, her curly locks tumbling over her eyes, seemingly to look guilty.

Going over to her, I put my hand on her desk. Gasping, she noticed my appearance, quickly fumbling into her backpack, pretending to look for her homework, searching through the entire thing.

"I-I know I did it, sir," she stammered, ripping out all of her school supplies, setting them down on her desktop. Colorful pens rolled off, clattering onto the floor. "Sorry…" Bending down, she scooped up her pens, shoving them in the pocket of her backpack before checking the whole thing over again. It doesn't seem like she's pretending to look for last night assignment for how frantic she is. "Ugh!" A distorted grunt rippled from her. "_Where is my homework?!"_ she rang out, tipping her book bag upside down, releasing all her contents onto the ground, spilling it everywhere.

Knowing she's going to have a spaz attack, I carefully took the backpack away from her, ceasing her search for her homework. "Don't worry about it for now, Jenny," I assured her. "You might have left it at home; it's no problem. I used to leave my homework behind both at school and at home when I was your age. Though you are going to get half credit for it, understand?" I arched an eyebrow, waiting for her response, handing her backpack who grabbed it with me uncurling my fingers and thumb off the strap. It took awhile for her to gain the process I gave her, but she peered up at me, sending me a nod. "Good." Giving her a smile, she did the same thing, forgetting about her homework she did when she mistakenly left it at home possibly.

While she was cleaning up the floor, I collected everybody else's homework, thanking them as I did so.

Although we're reading chapters for _The Hobbit_, they have to write an essay on the chapters they've read - chapters ten through twenty. It was a challenge for them, though I knew they could do it. The same will go for all of my classes, including the one where I have Zach and Champ, my two favorite students, even though Champ whines sometimes about the homework, being it 'too hard' for him to accomplish it. But he's doing pretty well then I expected from him for how he acts, for him being a coward for the most silliest things on earth.

Gathering the last of the papers from the front, I set them down on my desk on a neat pile, grabbing a copy of the book we're continuing to read. "Please take out _The Hobbit_ and go to chapter twenty-one." Obeying, everyone of my students took out the book, my ears catching the sound of page turning. When it stopped, I called out to the first kid. "Ronnie, you can start us off," I said to him.

"Yes, Mr. Stine," he replied respectingfully before reading the chapter. He read carefully, slowly for everybody to keep up unlike the kids I had when I was in school for English class, reading either fast or softly to where I'll get frustrated when my teacher tells me to pick up where my classmate stopped at.

It was nerve racking when I could never find where my classmates will leave off, smart enough that they'll do that on purpose from how different I was, being mysterious at a young age when I was in high school, bringing back memories from all the bad times back in Ohio, way before I met my ex wife, creating monsters - everything.

I wasn't a...popular kid, always sitting by myself at the lunch table, getting food thrown at me, my glasses being purposely knocked off my face when someone whams me in the back of my head while I'm trying to read in peace during Study Hall.

I will tell them to leave me alone, only to get laughed at in my face. I had transferred to a new school, hoping it'll stop until I enrolled there, the bullying following me there.

Throughout the rest of my school years, I had no choice but to deal with it. I went on with the rest of my school years being picked on for no apparent reason, growing up with it, the bullies constantly degrading me of every chance they got. Whenever my teacher has his back turned, someone next to me will throw a pencil or any school material at me, knocking off my attention span, turning to see a devilish grin on my stupid classmate's face.

This went through all my school years, as well as collage. Same experiences, same teasing… I dealt with it.

Are my old bullies out there, waiting to strike again? It's a thought that'll run in my head, wishing it'll never happen again - especially now since I have a teenage daughter.

Paying attention to Ronnie's reading from all the awful memories of being in school, I made sure he read the sentences correctly, knowing some of my students with either stutter, starting over at the beginning, or pause for a brief moment, then continue on. It doesn't drive me crazy, being well smart enough to know not everyone can read perfectly.

I held up my hand. "You can stop right there, young man," I halted him. He stopped reading, placing his finger on where he stopped at. "Nat, pick up where he stopped at," I instructed my next volunteer.

Nat sat up in his chair, searching for a second. When he manages to find the spot to pick up where we're at, reading carefully, slowly for all of us to understand, taking his time. He paused a few times, making sure he read a word fluently, going on from there.

It was then a knock came at the door, interrupting my class session. I went towards the door, ready to answer it.

Upon opening the door, I saw Principal Harrison standing there, cleaning his glasses with his shirt. He placed them back on his face, pushing them up on the bridge of his nose, getting them straight. He smiled when he saw me. "Hey there, Stine," he greeted humbly. "I picked out the classes Hazel will like, the ones Champ, Zach, Hannah, and Taylor have for she won't have to worry about talking to new people on her first day of school - even though it's March, meaning there's only three months of school left before summer break comes. Her school supplies will arrive soon, though," he told me.

Hearing the news, I smiled at it. "Thanks." Giving me a wave, he walked back to his office, leaving me to close the door. "Alright, let's get back to where we were," I spoke to the class. "Nat, you may continue," I proceeded, flipping my hand forward.

He did what I told him, being careful at each word with everyone following along, unable to lose their place in the books in front of them.

Listening to him read, I wondered how well Hazel will do in real school since she quit kindergarten back when she was very little. I was stunned when I heard this from my daughter when we were enjoying the pie my girlfriend made, even though Hazel never ate hers from how...depressed she is.

Despite this, she's at a very special place to get the right help with her illnesses. I gave the person at the front desk my phone number for them to call me when they think she's well enough to return home. It took only two days to bring her to the Mental Hospital for how far it is from the town of Madison, taking hours to reach the place. Adding to when I have to come home, it took me another night to get to my house with my daughter waiting for me.

I guess she thought I won't able to return home at first when I go out to do errands when she used to be a ghost, leaving her in the house of every place we live in, locking both the front door and back door to prevent her from going outside, a bad choice I made when I first thought of it, believing it'll keep her safe from any stranger who will be willing to break into our homes.

Luckily, no robbery ever happened, leading me to check on her when I come back home from the grocery store, asking her if she's okay.

"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine all thanks to you for locking me up in the house," she'll respond sarcastically, rolling her eyes, an annoyed expression taped on her face. "You do this all the time, so you should know without asking me." Of course, this gets me angry at her, leaving me to keep my temper under control when I tried to explain to her, except it'll lead up to an argument, both of us hollering at each other, my volume becoming much louder than hers, causing her to stop. It's almost like she wanted me to win… giving up, storming up to her bedroom, slamming the door to make a loud _bang_ sound, letting any house we lived in to shake.

Throughout our arguments, I'll be the first one to say sorry to her before she can say how sorry she was for acting like the way she does. I'm glad I rewrote her back to existence, getting her out of the new book I like to call hell.

At least _some_ things changed… There are ones I need to improve, such as getting Hazel used to being around Slappy once he tells her how sorry he is for what he has done to her, the fact of how challenging it will be for her for how much she went… Do I have to keep on repeating on this subject? It's getting old to where I don't want to even want to think of what her god family did to her. I never wanted to see them, unable to believe how they treated her in the past for her not being their real daughter, for them being...cruel around her, acting like...idiots…

"You okay, Mr. Stine?" My thoughts were suddenly stopped when a girl with red curly hair spoke out, her eyes filled with concern. "You're teeth are clenched together," she informed me, pointing. "It looks like you're in...pain."

I hadn't noticed my teeth are squeezing together tightly, answering why they began to get sore, almost feeling like they're about to break. "Yeah…" Releasing my grip of my teeth, I lowered my bottom jaw, responding to the worried question. "I'm fine…" I told her. "Next time, raise your hand when you speak," I said. "You can go next."

Looking down, she picked up where Nat left off, for he got tired of being interrupted. I don't blame the boy; I never liked being interrupted either when I'm trying to do something - like when my old bullies will cause me to lose my focus when I'm creating a new monster for a new _Goosebumps _book.

At least I'm done writing those stories, never have to worry about any monsters getting out of their books…

Or so I thought… Some reasons, I have this eerie feeling it'll happen again, like it'll happen for the third time...where more of my monsters are going to get released… By a different monster of some sort.

Okay, okay, I'm being edgy. No way more monsters are going to take over the town unlike last time, here and back in Chicago, becoming ridiculous about the thought of thinking such a thing. I should think about the positive side, ignoring the bad ones. I shook my head, forcing those thoughts out of my head. Luckily, everyone had their eyes on their books, with nobody asking me for it I'm okay or not.

It's a great thing my boss found classes for Hazel to enjoy - with her first set of friends in them. Now I have to wait for the school supplies to arrive, either here at the high school or at my place, wherever they'll be depending on where they'll get dropped off.

Though I do need to tell her about Slappy, knowing she'll get mad at me for breaking a promise to her. She never liked Slappy from the start; seeing him, hearing his name, the fear of having dolls, a normal thing to be afraid of such as spiders Hannah sometimes sees in our house, crawling up one of her bedroom walls. There was this one time when she came to me, freaking out over an arachnid on her bed, _while I was about to go to sleep._

I got rid of it for her, no doubt about it. Admittingly, it was a creepy spider in a black, glossy color.

I knew what spider it was - a black widow. I don't know anything about those crawly things, except when I know a black widow is one of the most venomous spiders in the whole world. It also doesn't help that I released a book with a large spider on the front cover - _Goosebumps Hall Of Horrors: Night Of The Giant Everything_.

A hand raised in front of me, right in the middle of the classroom. I lifted my head up, arching a brow. "Yes, Kyle?"

Looking embarrassed, he set the book down, turning it upside down. "Can I...go to the bathroom?" I couldn't help it, a grin broke off my face. "...what…?" he said, sinking down in his chair. "I don't mind waiting after class to go, but…"

Shaking my head, I explain why I was grinning. "I'm not laughing at you, kid. I'm laughing of how you asked. The right term to ask is 'May I use the bathroom', rather than 'Can I go to the bathroom'." The kid seemed like he never understood me; clearly enough he didn't get it. "Okay, you may go to the bathroom," I allowed, motioning the door with my hand, the smile being rid off of me. There are some people out there who'll not take a joke. "When you get back, you're the next one to read."

Quickly nodding his head, he got up from his seat, dashing out the hallway.

"No running!" I shouted down to the boy. "No running in the halls, Kyle! Hey - Oh, why do I bother?" I stepped back to my spot in the English room. "You may continue Mary," I proceeded.

"Thanks," she answered, searching for the place we stopped at. "Let's see… Aha!" She continued reading the book.

It doesn't take me long to know where we're at in this...boring book. Ugh, this book is lame! It'll be a lot better for us to read horror book better than _The Hobbit_. I feel like I should let the kids read what they want to read, but this is the book their doing from the start of the school year, and I don't want to get fired from my favorite job.

Honestly, I never thought I would be an English teacher. Never thought about it in my whole life until after the monster invasion, and after the people fixed up the school. I don't see the large hole at the gym anymore from the giant praying mantis who snatched one of the school kids.

Soon Kyle came back, going to his desk, sitting down in his chair. "Where are we at?" he asked, picking his book up, searching the pages with his eyes.

"We're on page thirty-four," one of my students helped, pointing at the page. "We're right...there."

He looked for a bit, then manage to find it. "Got it." The girl grinned, going back to her book. "I'll start where we're at," he said, remembering he's the next one to read. "This book is boring…" A few giggles came from several students. "Well, it is…" he mumbled, biting his bottom lip.

"Kyle…" I breathed out of my nose. "...just...read, please, okay?" I spoke, unwilling to hear any complaints from any of these kids, no mood for it ever. I don't like complaints nor whines, all thanks to the cowardly child, Champ, who _always_ complains and whines about everything. I do feel bad for him too, don't get me wrong, for he said his parents are thinking about kicking him out all because of his cowardness.

I haven't heard anything about it since he only told me about it back when we're at Horrorland when we all went after the Invisible Boy. Maybe his parents eased up on him, changing their minds. I'm not sure, however, if they do such a thing like kicking him out of the house, I'll have a good talking to his parents.

The bell rang, having everybody close up their books as they got up from their desks. "Be sure to write a book you'll like to right; it's your homework for the night," I told them. "Make sure you do it, or else they'll be concinquences," I warned them hardly, eyeing each one. They didn't give out groans, all they did was let out 'Okay', before leaving the room.

They'll do their homework, I know they do, I assured myself, waiting for my next class to walk into the door.

* * *

**Hazel**

* * *

I blinked my eyes at Leo, confusion came over to my face. My confusion soon turned to anger, almost to where I bolted up from my seat. "_YOU'RE ONE OF MY CLASSMATES WHO BULLIED ME!?_" I yelled furiously, catching some attention from the other people. I ignored the stares, my venting going off. "I can't believe it! You-" I jabbed a finger in his face "-made fun of me, teased me, my life being _ruined_ from you people back in kindergarten! I would've loved school if you guys never made fun of me for something I like! But no, you did it anyway!" Leo began to inch away from me. "Don't pretend you don't remember, _old classmate_," I seethed, ranting on. "I stood in front of the whole class when our teacher asked me to talk about a book I'm reading - a chapter book, a scary book! And you know what I got from all of you horrible classmates? Do you?" He was about to answer, only I beat him to it. "You laughed at me, you laughed at the books I love, being the worst enemies ever next to my god family!" I retaliated, my eyes welling up. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Sitting there on the chair, he glanced down at the floor, kicking his sneakered feet. "...I never made fun of you…" he barely answered in a quiet mumble, though it was loud enough for him to be heard.

Unable to believe him, I grabbed him by the shirt. "You shouldn't lie…"

"I'm not fibbing, Hazel," he insisted, jerking his arm away from me. "I stood up for you when I saw the kids kicking sand at you for no reason after you ran off from the playground," he tried to tell me, except my face was stuck in a permanent grim look. "I wanted to be your friend, but...they told me not to be your friend, telling me your stupid who only likes _Goosebumps_ books, a series I read, too."

"I-!" I stopped all of a sudden. "Did...Did you say you like to read _Goosebumps_ books?" I must've missed heard him.

"Y-Yeah...I did…" Realizing what his last sentence was, his status went completely downhill, like when you fill up a cup of milk and it ends up all over the table in the phrase 'don't cry over spilled milk', picking the skin off his right thumb. "I thought I was the only one in the whole kindergarten class who loves creepy books. I've been collecting them when one of my family members' kids gave them to me…" I kept silent as I listened on, picking up everything he's telling me. "...when I would be sitting in class, I wouldn't pay any attention to what our other classmates are reading, more likely books with lots of pictures with less sentences, unlike me who hated those kinds of books to where I decided to...challenge myself into reading books with zero artwork in them." He paused, ripping a piece of his thumb skin off close to his nail, releasing it from between his forefinger and left thumb, freeing it to the floor. "Then one day...it happened when our teacher spoke to us…

'Alright, kids, I hope enjoyed the books that you are reading,' the teacher unexpecting announced, gathering our attention. I had my eyes glued on a _Goosebumps _book titled _Go Eat Worms! _in front of me, so when she talked, I glanced up, carefully placing the book on my desk, hiding it behind my arms pressed against each other, hoping, praying she won't call on me. 'How about one of you come up to the class, and tell us about the book that you are reading,' she suggested. 'It doesn't matter if you didn't finish the book or not. Just come up and tell us about it,' she encouraged, being the great teacher she's ever been.

Please, don't pick me, I hate speaking in front of people. I got myself ready, despite my social anxiety whipping around inside me, butterflies fluttering inside my tummy, waiting to be called up.

Looking at each student in the classroom, she landed her eyes on of them, sending out a brightfull smile, her teeth seemingly to glow white. 'How about we start off with a good reader? Hazel, can you come up and tell us about the book that you are reading?'

Hazel? I turned from my seat, seeing her at her desk at the third row, two desks away from the window, showing a bright, blue sky with no puffy clouds in sight.

I glanced at the treacher, who maintained her grin before looking back at Hazel. I watched her get up slowly like a turtle, grabbing her book, going up the front of the classroom with all of us staring at her. Luckily, she can't see me since I'm at the second row behind another kid in front of me.

I average height for a five year old, but I'm one of the few kids who's a bit taller, not minding about it. I got impressed at the book she's holding with her.

The teacher also had an impressive look, too, when she saw her book. 'You're reading a chapter book?' The way she said it sent off a good vibe...unless for me that is.

Hazel nodded her head, bobbing it up and down like a bobble head you sometimes see people having in their house or on the dashboards of their cars.

'Wow, you must be a very good reader,' the teacher complimented. 'What chapter book are you reading?' she inquired with lots of interest.

My classmate answered. 'Goosebumps…'

'Goosebumps. That's amazing. And what does the title of that book that you got there?'

It's _The Barking Ghost_.

Glancing at the title of the book, she read it, being clear with a soft voice she once carried.'_The Barking Ghost…' _However, the way she said it made her sound like she's...guilty. But why?

The teacher let out a playful shudder. 'Oh, that sounds scary. Do you like scary books?'

I do!

'Yeah… my real parents got me the books last year before I ended up with my god family.'

When she explained on how she received the books, I was unaware by the mention of god parents. Don't get me wrong, I heard of the term 'god parent', but I never knew she had a type of family who'll take her in. I bet their nice folks…

'Did you bring the books to their place?' the teacher asked.

'...yeah…' Why does she sound upset and possibly...scared? And Hazel isn't reading the book right now since she got called up. Probably because she's nervous, I assume.

'Would you like to tell us about the book is about?' I leaned to the right, hearing her speak to my classmate, eager to tell us about the book. I had read the book one time, thinking it was great.

Although… this girl doesn't seem to want to talk about it, handing off one word. '...no…' she mumbled

Our friendliest teacher's smile is now replaced with a frown of worry. 'Why not…?' she questioned, wanting to know why she won't tell us.

Glancing over at our teacher, Hazel opened her mouth, ready to-

'Because those books are awful!' someone right next to me shouted out, the room being erupted my uncontrollable fits of laughter, unable to cease down. I stayed quiet…

On my left, I caught the sound of giggling next to me. 'Those are the worst books ever!' This caused me to gaze at the girl at the corner of my eye. 'I mean, who would read those kinds of books?'

I began to cross at what she had stated… Clearly they don't know _anything_ about how popular the books are.

I got ready to tell them, wanting to stick up for my poor classmate, standing there motionless, being uninsured to move, frozen like she was performing on stage in front of thousands upon thousands of people of all ages.

Nobody shouldn't judge things - especially books we both love to read.

However, before I can even get a single word out, our teacher has already began to try to take control over the loud laughs. 'Settle down, settle down. It doesn't matter what anyone readys,' she did her best to intervened.

The results in getting them to stop hadn't worked. They, minus me, continued on with their laughing.

I saw Hazel running out the back door, clutching the book in her hands, wanting to get out of there as fast as she could from the environment.

At least the laughter died by the time she got out of there, finally getting quiet.

'Now,' the teacher began, folding her arms over her chest, a disappointed feeling all over her, 'why did you kids thought it was funny, calling those books awful?'

Silence. A dull silence. I was about to speak when the bell rang off for us to play outside. Everybody scrambled out of their seats, bolting right outside as I put my book away in my desk. I got up from my chair, pushing it inwards. Then I went outside, seeing the kids, one of them seemingly to search for something - or someone - on the playground.

'Aha!' one of them declared, pointing at the direction towards the slide. He took off with the others close behind. I followed, too, going behind a tree, the trunk wide enough to hide me. 'Look what we found…' He took ahold of someone by the shirt. I almost gasped when I saw it was Hazel, forcefully being dragged to a sandbox not to far away from her hiding spot. Her book fell from her hand when she got pushed into it. 'Come on, ugly girl! Do something!' Sand came towards her when the kid provoked her.

I watched helplessly, watching them kick the yellow grains. She cried when I saw the sand go into her hair. The more she wailed, the more sand came.

Then, all of a sudden, her crying decreased, and I wasn't too far from where I was at to see anger rippled across her face, her hands holding onto the sand…

'That's it!' Hazel screamed, tired of this nonsense. She sat up, her hands clutched tightly into fists. 'Go ahead, mock me! I don't understand why you hated me so much!' I stood there, amazed to witness her being able to stand up for herself. I stepped a little away from the tree, listening. 'Is it because I have a god family who doesn't like me, so you can do the same when I'm at school?' Wait, her god family...isn't nice…? Whoa, I take back what I thought earlier. 'Huh? Isn't it?! Why?! Why do you guys judge me for the things I like?' she demanded.

I saw the same girl who sits next to me, seeing a not-so-nice grin painted on her face. 'You're useless,' she sassed, like she was a princess, a rude princess on the planet.

'How am I useless? I never did anything to you guys. Why can't you be nice and be my friends?'

The lad who forced her into the sandbox sent her a cruel sneer. 'No one wants to be your friend. I mean, who wants to be your friend?' I would be your friend… 'Oh, that's right. Nobody.' Untrue…

My ears picked up from the sound of screaming when Hazel threw sand in his face.

'My eyes! My eyes! _MY EYES!' _Screaming in agony, he swiped his hands over his eyes, trying to get the sand off of him as Hazel ran off after grabbing her book, running off the playground to who knows where...

He hadn't noticed when I walked towards in front of him, even with me not noticing as well. I stood there, waiting for him to stop with the screeching.

I felt my social anxiety building up inside me, shaking it off. He saw me once he was able to see.

He narrowed his eyes. 'What do you want? Actually, don't tell us. Where's the stupid girl at?'

'Don't call her stupid,' I responded. 'You should never, ever call someone by that term!' I yelled, ignoring my social anxiety for this one time. 'She isn't stupid, she isn't ugly, she isn't _nothing!_'

'She is, too, ugly!' an asian girl replied, rolling her dark eyes, almost looking black.

'And she's boring,' another added, receiving nods from the others.'She reads these dumb _Goosebumps_ books all the time. Blah!' She stuck out her tongue, putting a finger down her throat, making gagging sounds. 'Uck! Those books are horrible!' she declared disgustingly. 'Am I right?'

Several let out different answers on her opinion of the series.

'Yeah, they're the worst books ever!'

'Burn the books!'

'Rip them apart!'

'Yes, we should make a petition. We should get all of the neighbors to sign it in order to take the books off the-'

'_**STOP!' **_Everybody shut up their mouths when I hollered. 'What is _wrong_ with you people? Have you even _read_ the books yourselves?'

'We don't need to read those horrible books to make our opinions on them.'

Glaring at the curly, brown haired kid, I stepped forward. 'You shouldn't judge the books… You should at least _try_ to read them. _I _read those books and-'

'Gross!' Cutting me off, the same asian girl let out an exclamation point, rolling out her tongue. 'You read _Goosebumps_ books, too? Ewww!' Being dramatic, she began to imitate the way she thought I would act around the books. 'Ooo, look at this one, the one with purple lizards. I _love_ this book, it's _so_ great.' All around her, the whole group bust out in another fit of laughter.

For me, it wasn't the way I acted whenever I read the books. I may love the books, but I never did something such as being over excited over those books. I would be happy when I find a new book at Barnes And Nobles on the young readers section, rather than to have an excitement fit to avoid stares in public, being it embarrassing to act in such a way.

I couldn't believe these...these..._airheads_. Making fun of Hazel _and_ me for liking scary books.

'You know, tomorrow I'll asked her to be my friend since you idiots don't want to be her friend,' I spoke up, feeling upright compationed about my decision.

Getting this from me, they all gave me disgusted expressions. The same boy, whose eyes are now red, probably from the sand, went up to me, taking the front of my shirt, clutching it tightly. He gave me a frightening stare, sending shivers down arms to where the hair on them stood on end.

'We don't want you to be Hazel's friend…' he seethed, his teeth pressed tightly together. 'She doesn't need anybody to be her buddy. You should be like us, making fun of her!'

'No way!' I refused, yanking myself away from him. 'What makes you think I should be like you and the others, teasing her interests, bullying her day by day? I see you guys once pinned her on the wall outside of the school building while I was going to my bus,' I told them, straightening up my shirt, getting rid of the wrinkles. 'I don't need to be the same as you people. I'm not like you. I'll _never_ be like you when it comes to the things you did to her. Who knows.' I shrugged my shoulders. 'Maybe someday I'll ask what's going on at her place - a place where her god family hates her because I indeed have one, too, but my parents and other family members are certainly still living.'

Sending me a sneer, he stepped towards me. 'We're glad she has people who hate her, the one she's living with now since her biological parents are gone.'

Whoa! Now what he said totally isn't right. Who says something like that, saying their glad for Hazel's god family for disliking her?

'You schoolmates are _horrible_,' I gave my own opinion. 'How about you leave her alone, to never bother her again? When find her, I'll be sure to tell on the principal for how you treated her, and wanting to know what happens at her place after school,' I vowed, keeping a promise to myself.

All of them rolled their eyes, seemingly not listening to my preparation. They turned, walking away, heading somewhere else. Only one of them stayed, glowering at me.

'We'll be sure you don't be nice to her,' he promised nastily, pointing a finger at me. 'We'll also make fun of you for liking _Goosebumps _books.'

This caused me to back down, like a wolf bowing down to the alpha, the pack leader. He's shaping up to be a leader of his group - in his own way.

I carefully walked away, retreating somewhere else on the playground in search for Hazel, to bring her to the principal, wanting to give him the news I had witnessed.

But… I couldn't find her. I checked every inch of the playground, unable to trace her down, searching...searching for her. I trotted over to the left side of the building, thinking she was hiding there, except all I found was a small patch of white daisies with bees collecting nectar, buzzing, wiggling their antennae. One of them saw me, lifting up from the peteled plant, hovering all while staring at me.

It seemed it wanted to give me sting with its stinger… Good thing I don't have allergies to stings, though I do have an allergy to peanuts, making life sometimes difficult for there are many food ingredients containing peanut oil, which led me to eat healthy, avoiding anything with peanuts.

Staring at the yellow and black striped bug, it seemed to lose interest in me, flying away with the other right behind. I exhaled, glad to not get a single sting from any of them. Now I should continue on with the searching…

However, I don't know where to look next. I had checked every inch of the backyard of the school - including the other side of it and the front of the building.

She wasn't there…

Where _is_ she? How can she not be around here? It's...like she ran away.

No, duh, Leo, of course she'll run away from all of this. You should've stood up for her in the first place, rather than waiting for the right time. Feeling empty inside, I made my way back to the school playground when I heard the bell, indicating everybody it was time to go inside. Oh well, I'll see her tomorrow…

"I waited until the next day…" He hung his head, putting his upper teeth over his bottom lip, chewing it. "...to see you again...to tell you I wanted to be your friend - a best friend… You never walked into the classroom, you never came back. Everybody then started making fun of me for liking _Goosebumps_ books after I told them," he said, tears running down his cheeks. "I felt sorry for you for the way they treated you. I really am… I didn't know your god family hates you, causing me to wonder what happens there when you go home after school…" The more he talked, the more I felt bad the more I believed him. "I hadn't had the courage to talk to you," he continued on, getting up from the chair, going up to the window. "My social anxiety prevented me from speaking to _anyone_ until I saw our mean classmates torturing you on the playground. You can I kind of...got mad seeing them doing that sort of thing to you." A pause came to him when I walked over to the window. "When you didn't returned, not only did they teased me and bullied me, they also talked about how glad they are for you to be unable to come back to school. I tried to tell them to stop talking nonsense, but...they…" He choked up. "...they ordered me to shut my fricken mouth, telling me to stop being...bad for you. One time, I was reading a _Goosebumps Two Thousands series_ known to be _Ghost In The Mirror_ at recess on the swing, wanting alone time for myself when one of them took it, throwing it in the puddle because it rained one day. The book was all soggy, drooping wet, the pages all stained from the dirty water in the color of brown." Man, for somebody ruining a book by putting it in water sure made me angry on how kids treated those books without any care. "I had no choice, I ended up getting a new one to replace my old one. During the rest of the elementary school days, I forced myself to read other books, even though I hate reading new books I never liked." A fly swooped around his face. He grabbed it in mid-air, slamming it down on the floor, killing it, surprising me for seeing him do that in such a quick motion. "I did manage to tell my parents of what's happening in school, about you getting bullied with me doing my best to stand up to you for the first time after you went off somewhere, about how they started picking on me, my old book getting ruined, causing me to replace it. They asked if I had told the teacher or the principal when those things happened to me. Like, what am I supposed to say? Do I say, 'Hey, my so called classmates are now making fun of me for liking _Goosebumps_ books?' No! I couldn't barely go up to her, at all! I more likely will chicken out, fearing it'll make things worse if she _did_ tell them to cut it out with their behavior." Sighing, he shook his head, feeling disappointed in himself. "As the years went on, I became more insecure about myself, afraid of talking to people, my social anxiety getting terribly worse to the point where I have massive attacks - panic attacks everywhere I go." A second pause. "All I wanted to say is… I apologize for seeing our classmates picking on you before they went onto me."

My eyes are now sweeping across the yard of the building, retelling the events that happened on that day back at school, unknowingly for somebody wanting to be my friend, unlike the others who despised me. This was the first time somebody stood up for me after I ran away from school. Nobody had done this sort of thing for me, it makes me feel all…good inside? Eh, I'm unsure about my feelings from being unable to form a grin of any sort.

Taking my eyes off the windowpane, I directed them towards him. "At least you did your best for doing a good deed," I spoke softly. "You are a nice boy since you told me all of this," I opined, drumming my fingers on the windowsill. "Thank you for sticking up for me," I then thanked.

"You don't seem…"

"Happy?" I nodded, knowing what he was about to notify. "I'm here for my manic depression, schizophrenia, and my phobia of being touched," I explained, unafraid about my problems.

"Huh," Leo answered. "What happened to your forehead?" he asked, bringing his finger to the black threads he now noticed. "Are those-"

"Don't touch them!" Jerking his hand away, he flinched when I shouted out loud. "I had already told you, I have of fear of being touched. Right now, my last roommate suggest I should shake people's hands for me to get used to physical contact. Yes, these are stitches," I said. "I had an accident in the bathroom from the other day."

Putting his arm down, his flinch melted. "How did it happen?" he questioned in full curiosity.

I swept my hair behind my ears. "Long story short, I smashed my forehead on a mirror." He opened his mouth to ask more when I put my hand up. "I can tell you more at lunch time after art therapy," I promised, needing to finish group therapy before going there.

"Alright," he respectfully replied, factly knowing for me to tell him after art therapy during lunch hour. "How long have you been in this mental hospital?" he questioned, following me back to the group who are talking amongst each.

"This is my third day here…" I sat down, stretching my legs in front of me. "A guy named Stine, and yes, he wrote the _Goosebumps_ books, brought me to this place after his daughter witness slice marks on arms. I wasn't trying to kill myself, I did it because I felt...horrible for who I become. There was this one time I heard her and her boyfriend talking when I was in the guestroom. I became angry...thinking they were talking about me. My anger spit away right after I pushed Hannah down on the floor like an out of control animal. Whenever Stine picks me up, I'm going to give her an apology present in case he forgot to say sorry to her for me. You know, for a good measure. She's friendly. One of the nicest people I have ever met, being my...friend. She also has a boyfriend now who has a best friend back in Madison, Delaware."

"Wow." Whistling, he clicked his tongue, making snapping sounds at the top of the roof of his mouth. "You're ways from home, Hazel," he commented, talking to me rather than the rest of the group around us. "How long did it take Stine to bring you here?"

Blowing a strand of hair out of my face, it landed back in place, tickling my nose. "It took him a few hours to bring me here; two days, I believe it was." A sneeze came out, being caused by my string of hair, finally placing it with the others. "I'm doubting I'll get better soon…" I began to feel hopeless, starting to believe my life will always be down the drain rather up like a flower blooming on the first day of spring. "My therapist back at home said some people get better faster than others."

Leo replaced his tongue clicking by twisting and untwisting the front part of his shirt. "...I'm from a different part of Delaware, too." This caught my attention, turning my gaze to meet his, despite the fact that he isn't...charming like Jackson. "I used to live where you live, until my father got a new job. We moved to where Rehoboth Beach is. My mom always loved the seaside when she was younger, collecting shells, building sand castles, such and such." He breathed out of his nose. "Did you live somewhere before living here in Delaware?"

His question got me wondering about me living somewhere else before living in this state. I've been living here all my life with my wonderful real parents with lots of fun memories before they turned sour when I lived with my disgusted god family, forcing myself to run away from there. "No, I always knew I lived here all through my life. Never had I lived in a different state." Being confirmed about my answer, except he wasn't.

"Are you sure…?" It feels like he doesn't believe me… "I mean, how do you know you been live-"

"I do, okay!?" I snapped in his face, my mood jumping from dullness to pure anger like it always does when I get annoyed fairly easily. "I swear by my real mom's grave; I've been living in this state throughout my life! Don't ask me again!" I raged. "I _hate_ when people ask me the same damn question with me answering it twenty seconds ago!" I screamed, wanting to do something I'll regret. My fuming stage had him all cowered, looking like Champ when he gets hollered at by Hannah's dad whenever he gets irritated by him. My body slacked, going completely limp. "I'm...sorry," I manage to say, "I never meant to-"

Knowing how bad I felt, he shocked me by wrapping his arms around me. Again, like the first time when Stine did this to me, my body went stiff, my muscles tightened. The phobia of being touched racking inside me. I was too afraid to push him off, my panic rising.

Finally, I slipped off from him. My facial expression went from fear to stricken anger for the second time. "Did you forget already!? I don't like being touched!" Man, do I want to smack him right there. "Right now, Jackson suggested me to shake people's hands in order me to get used to being...touched. There's a reason why."

"Okay, okay, okay." Retreating, he pulled back his arms, hanging them to his sides. "It was my way of forgiving you," he explained in a mumbled tone. "I-I-I never meant to upset you. I won't touch you again. Ever."

Seeing how upset he is, I shouldn't have yelled at him like that. I should've stayed calm rather than be erasional about the sudden experienced.

"I'll tell you why I don't like being touched during lunch hour, alright? There's no need for me to react in such a way. I wished it went through your head the first time when I mentioned my phobia to you. With you, you have social phobia, explaining why you're afraid to talk to people. You shouldn't do something to somebody they dislike; it makes their fear worsten by not letting them take it step by step."

He listened to me, bobbing his head up and down, understanding about my situation. "...I guess I wasn't thinking… I should've thought it through. It's my fault."

"No, it's not," I said, reassuring him, willingly to place my hand on his shoulder, almost going to until I took it away, relaxing it on my left leg, creating sounds on the chair leg with my right foot. People didn't seem to complain as I kept the rhythm quiet for no one to hear it. "I may be...snappy from time to time, but it doesn't mean I'm...mean nor anything else in the world. I bet people will see me like a boring soul who doesn't want to do anything rather getting paid for doing chores for my neighborhood at my home. My own way of surviving without any adult until I began living with Stine and Hannah."

Quiet came between us. It seemed like Leo is more likely surprised on how I learned how to survive with no parents - even without any family member - for help. Adding to it, he seemed to have nothing else to put in, processing at what I told him.

It's unlikely for someone from five to sixteen to go out on their own, learning on how to live, learning how to get money at a young age with no jobs since it's illegal for a child - a small - child to do work. I'm sixteen, I could be old enough to do volunteer work. The problem is, I won't trust new people. The people I trust are the ones close to me… Unless Stine hadn't released the devil doll! I swear to God, I'll be greatly fuming if I see Slappy running around in the house, I'll make sure his creator puts him back in there.

It's also for Hannah's safety… Hold on a second. Safety? For Hannah's sake? Am I...starting to feel protective of her? I mean, I am a month older than her considering I'm born on July on the thirteenth that I mentioned already. Hannah's birthday, the day she got created by her _adoptive_ father, is on August… You know, I never knew what day she was 'born' on. I know her book got released in August of nineteen ninety-three, presumably the year when she first got released from her book by her dad. It's something I have to remind myself in asking her on what day her birthday is. All I know is her birthday _year_. I don't really know what _day_ her birthday is on.

Or did Stine wrote her into existence last year - two thousand and fifteen? He told me he made her after trapping Slappy in his book before he burned it when he got himself out there back in the study room of his house.

In fact, that devil doll was locked up three times. Stine never told me why the first time Slappy got locked back up when he was driving me here, possibly of how hard it is to talk about the way he hesitated on the subject. Hannah told me the second time he got locked up was back in Chicago when some young lady - a girl - helped her dad out to put the evil creature in the manuscript, and for the third time last year, when all the monsters got released from the demonic being, he - the dummy - got trapped with all of his buddies into one book, between all of the pages.

I do need to ask Stine on what happened to both Slappy and him when he had no choice but to lock up his...buddy in the _Night Of The Living Dummy_ book, even though it's not my business. Though, I couldn't help but feel curious about it since he basically refused to tell me about it in the car.

Maybe he doesn't want to talk about it. I mean, he does feel guilty for doing what he had done, leaving me thinking it's a good thing for the evil thing to be trapped in a book - especially for what he had done to me back at the high school field where I got marked.

Marked… Have I checked my arm already to see if the strange words are still on my skin where Slappy had bitten me? I don't remember. Rolling up one of my sleeves, I checked in case I didn't, wanting to make sure to be safe about it.

Nothing. Nothing was on my arm except hair laying down. It did sprang up when my arm shook when I...sensed the dummy or whenever I hear someone say his name, I have to admit. It's like when people sense a ghost, the hair on their arms will go straight up, minus the shaking.

To be honest, I was pretty much closed off in the paranormal. I'm not saying I don't believe in ghosts since I read _Goosebumps_ that has to do with ghosts.

But when I saw Hannah's body glow blue from the moonlight, I was beyond shocked at what I and the others had witnessed. I never knew she was spirit until that day.

Remembering the story I've been told by her dad, Stine did mentioned he wanted to create something good; no evil monsters or villains to deal with. He then ended up writing Hannah after trapping the evil dummy in his book years later, which is why I may have a hunch she was created and released from her book last year. But her book was published in the year of nineteen ninety-three, so I could be wrong about her being released from her manuscript last year.

Now thinking about it, all the original sixty-two books books in the _Goosebumps_ series have been written in the nineties, unlike the newer series we see today in bookstores like Barnes And Nobles.

I do need to ask Stine about this. About when he first made Hannah with his special typewriter. It's better to ask then to figure this out on my own. Stine would've been very young back in the nineties, around his late teens or early adulthood.

Thinking about what year Hannah was made had me rubbing my temples. Probably from thinking too hard.

"Are you having a headache?" I stopped rubbing the sides of my head when Leo spoke, breaking my thoughts, raising my brows when I looked at him. "You're rubbing your head; it might mean you have a headache," he said, thinking it was the case.

I dropped my hands down on my legs. "No, no, I don't have a headache," I replied, wishing he hadn't seen me doing that. "I was...thinking, that's all," I told him. "Something you wouldn't understand."

"Oh?" A small grin formed on his lips. "Mind telling me what you're thinking about?" he inquired, his smile - a strange smile - crossing over his face. "Are you thinking I'm...cute?"

Upon looking at him, I immediately smack his shoulder, intavertaling in flinching at touching him in the process. "Are you out of your mind!?" I ultimately yelled, gathering some attention. I forced myself to ignore everyone else as the whole room fell silent, like somebody switching the channel off. "You think I'm thinking you're _cute_?" I couldn't believe this. Him, the person I had met thirty minutes ago thinks I have a crush on him!? "For your information, I don't have feelings for you," I informed my disgusted mood, unafraid of showing how unamused I am. "I already went out on a date last night. _Last night_!"

Rubbing where he got hit, he straight away went with my words. "Ow. I was just asking." I gave him a serious look. "I was curious. I never had a girlfriend because I was too afraid they'll reject me since I'm afraid of talking to people. I wish I had one, but I don't. I'm always afraid a beautiful chick will laugh in my face to spreading rumors-"

"Why would someone spread rumors?" I interrupted. "You shouldn't listen to rumors because they're aren't true."

"Yeah, right." Scoffing, he merely rolled his eyes to the side, unable to believe me. "I hear a lot of rumors at my school, Hazel. The ones about me, hearing people say how I'm weird of not being able to talk to someone, always sitting down by myself during lunch period to refusing in getting into group projects. In other words, I'm an introvert."

Unaware about the word 'introvert', I tilted my head.

Leo noticed right away, explaining what the term means. "An introvert is someone who likes to be alone, instead of hanging out in big groups of people. They're fine with a few friends to be with them, rather than a lot of friends. They don't like big parties, only hang outs with people they know. They also like to 'recharge' after doing stuff with their friends." He sighed. "For me, I don't have a lot of friends. I have a few who I hang out with from time to time, but I'm more of an...indoors type of guy." He paused for a moment. "What about you?" he then asked. "How many friends do you have?"

Good question. "I do have a few friends. Zach, Champ, Hannah, Stine, and Taylor who's Champ's girlfriend after saving her from a werewolf-" Immediately, I shut my mouth.

Again, he took notice of this. "Werewolf?" Oh no… "What werewolf?" He doesn't know about the monster invasion in the town of Madison. What have I done? I bit my bottom lip in nervousness. "There's no such thing as werewolves, Hazel. Monsters aren't real."

Feeling embarrassed about what I said, I decided to shut up. No way I'll tell him about the monster invasion that happened last year. He doesn't live in Madison. Only in Rehoboth, Delaware, a place where there's a beach to have...fun.

He doesn't believe in monsters, I told myself. He'll laugh at you if you tell him about the invasion. He might not of seen it on the news, either. You are so stupid, Hazel, I critized in thought. You shouldn't say anything about the _Goosebumps_ baddies to someone who'll more likely dismiss it.

So I sat there, waiting for group therapy to be over, the urge to go to art therapy on my mind, wondering what we're going to make for today.

* * *

Leo dipped his thin paint brush in the paint jar filled with green paint. He then brought the brush up, the green liquid dripping on the easel as he lifted it to his canvas, stroking the bristles across it. He stopped, keeping the hair of the brush from moving any further.

I had stopped too, directing my eyes at him. "Is something wrong?" I asked, placing my brush in the purple jar of paint.

"...I don't know how to paint…" He seemed to hesitate to say it, his face coloring. "I don't know how to draw," he said, sounding upset. "At my school in art class, everybody will be doing great art work while I'll have trouble making a simple thing - like drawing a flower."

I stopped at what I was doing, facing away from my artwork. "You couldn't draw a flower?"

"Hey, it isn't my fault!" he practically defended, barely dropping the brush. "To me, a flower is difficult to draw." Taking his paintbrush off his canvas, he set it down, staring at the green line he made. "I would be too afraid to show my 'masterpiece' to the class," he said. "All around me, these kids will paint and draw...wonderfully unlike me who can only do stick figures instead of drawing realistic people everybody else does."

"Not everyone can draw, Leo," I stated matter of factly, cleaning my brush before dipping it into the yellow paint.

"Well, they can," he muttered bitterally in disbelief. "Like, how can they draw well?" he began to question highly. He placed his pointer finger on his chin in thought. "Maybe all my classmates in the art room learned how to draw at a young age…"

His theory could be right, I have to admit. But since I used to do artsy stuff back when I was younger, I wouldn't call myself an artist. To me, it sounded like boasting, and boasting is rude.

At least I still have mine since I hadn't made crafts back in school. Like I told Jackson before, all the kids would steal my work, showing it to the art teacher, telling her what they made, leaving me with glinstinging eyes.

However, when Leo is wondering how everybody can draw, it did got on my nerves a little. Taking a deep breath, I retold him my answer. "I'm going to say this again. Not everyone can draw." Hopefully, this would get him to stop…

"Yeah, but I _know_ a lot of people can draw." Great, he starting to whine. To be honest, when Champ started whining about refusing to go to Horrorland to stop the Invisible Boy, it irritated me, forcing myself to hide it, unwilling to be rude. "Everywhere I go, I watch people paint, making it look like the item their creating, and-"

I couldn't take it anymore. Slamming my own paintbrush on the easel with some drops of paint landing on my shirt, I sharply turned to him.

"For the last time, not everyone can draw," I reiterated, wondering how many times I would have to repeat this. "I don't want to keep saying this to you; it's annoying to hear you complain, 'Everyone can draw'," I mimicked his whiney voice. "Seriously, stop." Once my ordereration got through to him, he managed to stop.

Recovering from my outburst, he grabbed his paint brush, twirling it between his thumb and finger. "...What _can_ I draw?"

Not wanting to hear him whine, I gave him a suggestion. "What about abstract painting?" Just like how I almost told him about the werewolf, his expression went from wondering to confusion. "You never heard of abstract, have you?" All he can do is shake his head. "Can you draw circles?"

"Yeah…" He has no idea where I'm going with this.

"Triangles?"

"Uh huh…"

"Stars?"

"Are you going to tell me what abstract painting is or not?" he asked impatiently. "I swear, if it's a hard thing to draw, I won't do it," he simply refused in no time flat.

"It's not something difficult to create. Abstract painting is shapes and colors," I basically explained, collecting my brush, cleaning it with water along with a rag. "Lots and lots of colors," I also added in. "Bright colors…"

"Bright colors…" he repeated, placing the pristles into another paint jar filled with red paint, despite it being covered in green paint.

"You should clean the brush off first," I advised, trying to be friendly due to the way I am, "before putting the brush hairs in a new set of paint."

Taking my suggestion, he did so, using the water and rag, wiping off the mixed colored paint. "I'm going to use a different brush." Switching the thin one he had, he swapped it for a thicker brush in the shape of a square. "So...abstract painting, right?" He went to me, unsure about the idea.

I gestured my head to his canvas. "Go on ahead," I encouraged, my voice unmastering to match with my mood, sounding dull as hell, like I've woken up from a deep slumber. "I won't judge what you put on there."

This got him all...happy… Right away, he began slapping paint on his canvas, making colorful strokes.

Seeing him in this manner made me feel awful about myself, wishing for the meds to pick up the pace. The pills for schizophrenia are working, but the ones for my manic depression, again, also known as bipolar disorder, is slow going. Plus, my vitems are doing a good deal at keeping me active even though I'm always...boring in some way.

I feel like I won't ever get out of this place, even though it doesn't look like any mental hospital from those movies people have watched. Honestly, I thought the same thing, fearing I would be strapped down, or worse, being forced into a straight jacket.

I wanted to get better fast, wanting to go back to Stine and Hannah. There's nothing to do here except therapy, eat, and sleep, then wake up to do it all over again.

I probably can ask if they have his number so they can call him and pick him up…

No, I should wait until the doctor says I'm well enough to get out of here. Dr. Richard did say some people who come across this place will get better faster than others, while others will be a lot slower.

Setting the paint brush down again, I stared at the canvas, the color purple taking my vision until it was the only color I can see. For some reason, the dream of my god brother came back to me in a flash.

It all seemed realistic. Dreams are dreams; they're not meant to be real. Not meant to come true whatsoever. I would never wish to see the selfish unbiological sibling as long as I live to the day my life ends.

Thinking about it, the first dream of the empty house stuck to me, curious if someone - minus Travis - will live across the street from Stine.

Sighing, I shook the thought out of my head, forcing it to go away. Think positive things, Hazel, I instructed myself with slow, steady breathes. Get rid of any negativity you have floating in the inners of your skull. No need to think about those things you don't want to think about. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts…

Oh, what's the use? Nothing will make me happy. I bet I'll have the same personality for the rest of my miserable life!

"_**I HATE MYSELF!" **_I raised my head up to the ceiling, screaming out loud. Well, my sudden exclaim caught everyone's attention, including Dr. Jones who has been praising their work of art. They can only look at me as I slipped downwards on my chair, looking like a complete idiot for shouting out like that. "...look at what you've done," I scolded myself under my breath, liquid emerging from the corner of my eyes. "You have to yell for what you're thinking, huh?"

While I talked to myself, I felt my art therapy's presence lingering behind me. I was too afraid to move to see her, paranoid she'll be mad at me for what I said about myself.

Guilt washed over me as I slowly, very slowly, preparing for what she has to say to me.

"Is everything okay?" Instead of barking at me like Jeff would whenever I get angry, she asked me gently, like I'm a little kid lost in the woods.

Gulping, I grabbed a piece of my hair. "Y-Yeah…" I let go of it. "I'm...fine. I don't know why I said that…" I couldn't say anymore, my voice breaking. "Is it okay for me to go to my room until lunch starts?" I requested. "I want to be alone for a while."

"Sure." She moved her head forward, handing me permission. "Tomorrow, you can finish your painting. Unless you want to." Waiting for my response, I sent her a nod, too sad to say anything. "Alright, I'll take this and set it on my desk," she said, placing her fingers on the canvas. Turning to me, she gestured her other hand. "You may go."

Standing up from my stool, I waved at Leo who gave me a wave back. Then I headed to my room, wanting some time to be by myself until lunch time arrives.

* * *

"I want to go home…!" I moaned, burying my face into my pillow, my left arm on the stuffed bear. "I have to admit, this place isn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I do want to go home, wanting Stine to pick me up. Now." I flipped my head to the side, staring at the other bed across from me. "However," I continued to speak, "I have no choice. I have to wait till the people to tell me I'm well enough to get out of here."

Laying down on the cot, the blanket underneath my stomach, I began to think of my real parents. I remember what they look like to a T ever since their death from the car accident. My mom had the same hair color… the same eye color, while my father had a different hair color, along with his eyes. At least, I _think_ that's how they look. You can't blame me, I was four when the car accident happened when I told Hannah this. There are things I'll remember when child - a small child - and there are things I won't remember.

I always felt like my life isn't normal; all dull, all boring, all plain with no fun. Before I left my god family, they'll have trips for themselves. I'll be watching them pack up their suitcases, stuffing clothes, snacks, everything they can put those things with me viewing at the couch.

"Where are you going?" I would ask timidly in hopes Kelly won't snap at me.

She did. "Somewhere far from you!" she'll scowl.

Pain… All I can feel is pain from her hurtful words from her...verbal abuse. Yes, you heard me right, she'll verbally abuse me. I never told Stine nor Hannah about the verbal abuse from my own god mother. Well, she did gave me steam when Travis made me break her vase when he shoved me to the table, screaming in my face.

Of course, when I asked them where they are really going, her husband will use his strap - the leather one - on me, ordering me to shut the hell up with Travis laughing like a hyena, watching me as I scrambled up to my room, tears rolling down my cheeks, one of them being red from the hard whip.

My hope is that I would never run into any of those nasty people. The same goes with Travis, the dreams I had of him a couple nights ago. If the house from across from Stine's is empty, ready for sale, I would be more… Ugh! How can I put in the word 'happy' when I cannot smile?! I blame the people I lived with for taking those positive feelings out of my heart, out of my chest, out of _everything_!

Placing my face back on my pillow, I screamed in frustration, the item muffling it out for no one to hear it. "I want to be happy!" I cried, punching the mattress with both hands turned into fists.

"Me too." When somebody else agreed, I lifted my head up to see Rosy standing at the doorway. "I don't like to see patients with sadness all around them," she spoke meaningfully, striding into the room, her high heels clicking the floorboard I hadn't noticed until I heard them. "So…" Plopping onto my cot, her eyes twinkled with positivity. "How was your date last night with you-know-who?" She elbowed me playfully, adding a wink, referring to who she meant.

Sitting up and fixing my hair, I bit my bottom lip. "It was...nice. Jackson's been a gentleman all evening. He held out the door for me, letting me go first." A sigh escaped me lips. "Unlike him…" I bitterly muttered in pure disgust.

Unrealizing what I was talking about, she raised her brows high on her forehead. "Him? Who's 'him'?"

Pulling my knees up to my chest, my feet planted on the mattress, I rested my chin on my folded up arms. "The 'him' I'm talking about is my god brother Travis; a complete ass, a complete jerk. He always blames me for everything, getting his dad, who is my god father, to smack me with his…" A shudder ran down my skin, the back of my neck prickling. "...leather strap…"

"Ow…" I don't need to look to see her give out a winced face. "I bet getting that treatment ruined your childhood," she said, placing a hand on my shoulder for me to shake her off of me. "Sorry," she then apologized. "I'm guessing you're still afraid of physical contact, huh."

"I'm working on it," I mumbled, this time my forehead on my arms, staring down. "Jackson gave me advice to start giving handshakes to people I'll greet. Then I'll work my way up to other physical contacts."

"I see… You know, I was beaten when I was younger." This caught my attention, my head snapping to the side.

"You…" I asked, "were beaten when you were little?"

She shook her head. "No, I was about your age; sixteen years old. My dad remarried to an _awful_ woman to become my stepmother because my real mother divorced my father. My dad has full custody of me since my mom's living in Florida, with me only seeing her every summer before school started. We even went to DisneyWorld one time for three weeks for my birthday." Wow...for your birthday… Wish I had a birthday like she had. "Anyways," she went on with her story, "my dad remarried to this lady who seemed to...disinterest me. Whenever I'll try to tell her things we should do together, say like getting a cat because my actual mom has an allergy to felines. My stepmother will snap at me, calling me names I shouldn't hear her say. Her abuse is more verbal than physical all thanks to my wonderful dad who'll use himself as a shield for me, pouring words into her, telling her to back off or else. A year later, he got tired of her lectures and what not, deciding for the best to have another divorce." Brushing her tendrils behind one of her ears, a gleaming expression swept all over her. "My dad has been, and will be, the best dad ever in my life." She shrugged. "Maybe someday you can rekindle your relationship with your god brother and his dad, along with his wife unless he has one, of course."

"He does… But I don't want to do it. Those people have ruined my life, especially Jeff, torturing me during the first year of living with them."

"He needs to learn what he did was wrong."

I rolled my eyes up at the ceiling. "Yeah, right," I jeered in a sarcastic tone. "He'll _never_ feel sorry for what he did, scarring my childhood to the brim of night. He'll come into my room, drag me off the bed, and whip at me while I'm on the floor grunting in pain, forcing myself to hold back the waterworks." Speaking of waterworks, my eyes welled up with water. All I have is a blurry vision invading in front of me as I switched my head down. "...He doesn't care what he does to me…" I choked up. "...Kelly, my god mother, thinks I'm a disgrace…" I sniffed when my nose began to run. "And about Travis...he plain mean. I-I had dreamt about him several times of him living across the street from Stine's house. It felt...real. Too real." I looked at her with tears streaming down my cheeks. "What happens if he _does_ live across the street from Stine? What will I do?" I feared, almost wanting me to grab her by the shoulders.

I didn't though, the fear taking over me. "He's going to make my life miserable!" I lastly cried out, chucking the teddy bear across the room. It made no sound when it hit the wall, sliding to the floor.

Getting up from my bed, Rosy swept over to where the stuffed bear, taking it into her hands. She brushed it like she was getting dirt off of it before going back over to me, holding the cuddly bear out in front of my face.

"You should learn to stand up for yourself," Rosy suggested once I took the toy, grasping it. "Whenever you and Jackson become an item, he's not always going to be there for you _all_ the time, hon. There are going to be times where he wants to be alone from his depression. He may look better, but there are going to be days where he'll have his downtime. Before you came here, he's either in a happy mood or a sad mood depending on what he's thinking. He was sad when Linda broke up with him when he was starting his medication. As his medication increased, he'll be smiling about the good things in life like having his mom while his dad is overseas at the military. I'm not sure if he told you this, but he never gets to see his dad a lot. And when he saw you-" She pointed at me. "-he told me you are the most prettiest girls he ever met after asking for permission for you to go out on your first date. By the way, where do you guys went to?" I can tell she was curious to where we ate last night.

I laid down on the bed on my side, slightly curled up. "We went to a restaurant that serves seafood. It was good," I admitted, remembering last night. "I never had seafood until then."

"I'm glad you liked the food," Rosy responded delightfully when her face saddened a bit. "Unfortunately, I can't have seafood for I am allergic to fish _and_ shellfish."

"Oh…" I felt bad for her, despite the fact that I never have any kind of food allergy. "You know, my mom before she died has an allergy to gluten, forcing her to be on a diet while me and my dad to enjoy the foods she cannot have," I told her, petting the false fur of the stuffed bear. "Guess I'm one of the _lucky_ people not to have an allergy. Stine had terrible allergies when he was younger, keeping him indoors where everybody made fun of him for it, and Champ has an allergy to dust mites, thinking it'll make the author feel better."

"Stine's an author?" she replied, sounding intrigued. "What books did he write?" she asked, the intriguement going up.

Before I answered, I sat up halfway, grabbing one of my books off the dresser top. "The _Goosebumps_ books. See?" I pointed at his name. "R.L. Stine. I don't know what R.L. stands for, but me and my friends back at home call him Stine."

She was about to say something when we both saw Leo coming into the room. "Hey," he waved in a way of greeting.

"Hey there, Leo." Waving back at him, she motioned her hand at me. "Have you met Hazel?"

"Certainly," he nodded. "She's a wonderful girl." Wonderful girl… Nice...I guess. "I met her at group therapy and we both have an interest in _Goosebumps_ books, so it was nice to have someone who likes the same thing as me." He grinned a nice grin.

"Well, you know you two don't have to like the same things, right?" When she brought that up, Leo arched his brow up. Noticing this, she explained on what she meant. "For you two to like the same things, it can get boring. Like I'm not into _Goosebumps_. I'm more into _The_ _Boxcar Children_ series."

"You mean those kids who were once orphaned when they lost their parents, surviving on their own when they found an old boxcar on an old railroad track, creating it to be their home?" this boy recalled, as if knowing the books, too. "Yeah, one of my cousins read those books. Their mystery books, right?"

"Right," came a nod from her. "Also, do you two play video games?" she asked next.

Both Leo and I answered at the same time.

"Yes."

"No." Leo gave me a stunned look with wide eyes. "What?" I asked, raising my hands up slightly with a shrug of my shoulders. "All I said is no. I'm not into video games. I think video games are stupid," I said, my opionion on them. "I never liked video games. I do like board games, but not video games."

"Huh…" he spoke, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess you're right, Rosy," he now directed to her. "We don't have to like the same things to be friends. We can have different opinions on anything we like or dislike."

"And it won't be difficult," I added to the matter of the conversation. "A lot of my classmates at my old school will think they have to like the same things all the time to become friends while I was the 'odd man out'."

"Odd man out?" After repeating the last three words, he chuckled. "For you, it'll be odd _woman_ out," he joked, laughing a nice laugh.

I'm going to admit it, it was funny in his defense. "Yeah…" I wanted to laugh, except I'm the type of girl who doesn't necessarily laugh. Someday it'll come back to me, curious for me to know what it's like to laugh all over again way before all of this happened when I was a small child. "I'm hungry," I said of all sudden.

"Then you two should get something to eat before you guys to music therapy."

Agreeing with Rosy suggestment, I shook my head up and down, my stomach rumbling. "Let's go, Leo." I got up from my bed, heading to the doorway when I saw him staying at his spot. "Come on, the food will get cold before we even get there," I explained, motioning my hand for him to follow me.

"...they might have peanut oil…" he said, almost mumbling, refusing to leave his spot. "I'm _extremely_ allergic to every peanut type. I don't want to have an allergic reaction."

"You'll be fine. They don't have peanut oil for the food." Honestly, I cannot be sure about this. I don't want him to have an allergic reaction since I don't know what to do for that kind of situation.

Getting all hesitated, he backed up one step behind him. "I don't know… You don't sound…

"Confident?" I completed. "To tell you the truth, I'm unaware if they use peanut oil or not."

"Still, they could have it…" It seemed like he's afraid to eat the food here, possibly of how good it is all thanks to the people who cook it.

No idea what to do, I sent Rosy a helpful expression, hoping she'll ease him. She caught this, walking up to him.

"Leo, I promise you that the food is made with zero percent peanut oil," she assured him.

Hearing her say this calmed him down, but the nervousness held onto him. "Okay, I'll go eat. Luckily, I packed my epi-pen in case of an emergency." He patted the pocket of his pants. "I keep it accessible at all times," he told us, smiling.

"Smart." Getting Rosy's praise, he smile grew wider. "Have you used it before?"

"Once," he responded. "I was only ten when my aunt made two types of cookies - chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies with actual peanuts added into them. The peanut butter cookies have real peanuts in them, not in the chocolate chip cookie ones. Anyway, I guess the peanuts got into a cross tamentation-"

"Cross tamentation?" I interrupted.

"It means the peanuts accidently got mixed in with the chocolate chip cookies," he simply explained with no hint of annoyance. "The peanuts got into a cross tamentation, getting into the chocolate chip cookies," he continued. "When I took a chomp on a chocolate chip cookie, I realized something wasn't right - wrong to be exact. I ended up having…"

Knowing what he was going to say, I said it for him for some help in case he was afraid to let it out. "An allergic reaction?"

"Yes! Exactly! Mom gave me my medicine while my dad called an ambulance."

"An ambulance? Your mom gave you the stuff to make you feel better."

"Even when I _do_ feel better, I still have to go to hospital for the doctors to check on me."

"Ohh." His answer did make sense when I think about it. "Can you use it on your own?" I questioned rather curiously.

"Yep," he popped, making the letter P sound with his lips. "We better get going; my stomach is starving." He headed out the door.

Watching him go, I trailed behind him, heading to the cafe area.

* * *

We stood in the middle at the line, waiting to get our lunch. I waited patiently unlike Leo who is walking in place, seemingly like he's having a difficult time waiting to get our food. I turned to him. "Don't worry, we'll get something to eat."

"I know. I'm having flashbacks during my early years of school where all the food will be gone," he answered, his shoes tapping the floor.

"What do you mean?" It sounded ridiculous for food to be out when the school can feed over a hundred kids without being all out of it.

"It isn't a normal school cafeteria where lunch ladies put food on the trays for ya. They make the food, put it on a buffet display for the kids to choose what they want. Sadly, people don't respect me, taking piles of food, leaving me with nothing." Nothing? "They won't even _share_ their food, either!" he proclaimed in disgust. Boy, those people have been disrespectful… "I'll have no choice but to wait until I get home to eat from all the hunger I'll be having. Days later, I told mom and dad what happened during lunch hour. They're ticked off of what I told them, about everyone not saving leftovers for me, and ended up packing lunch for me."

The lined moved up so we moved as well. "I had a similar problem where my mean classmates will take my snacks," I said, knowing what it's like.

"Did you tell your god parents?" he asked.

"No," I shook my head from side to side. "They wouldn't care, anyway. When we get our meal, I'll tell you what they've done to me like I had promised during our group therapy." The line moved up again with us doing the same thing. "It's a sad story," I warned him right away. "Unpleasant," I put in. "I wanna prepare you so you won't...get too upset."

"Thanks… For the warning." We moved up enough to grab our trays, making our way to the food is at. "Yes!" he declared, witnessing at what's in front of us. "Grilled cheese sandwiches!"

"Don't forget the tomato soup," one the ladies who made the food reminded, gesturing at the bowls. "They're nice and hot, be careful," she cautioned.

We helped ourselves with the sandwiches and soup. "We will." She smiled when we promised her in the fact that my voice wasn't close to glee like my new roommate.

With food on our trays, along with each a drink for us - apple juice and soda - I took him to the table I usually sit at where the window is.

We set our trays down on the table. Leo plopped down on his seat before I did, cracking up the soda can lid. I can hear the soda fizzing inside there as he tilted the can to his lips. "Yum. My favorite." He set the can down. "I _love_ mountain dew." He picked up one of sandwiches, preparing to eat when he gave me a reminder. "About your god parents…"

I've been chewing on one of my half sandwiches, swallowing it down, clearing my throat. "To make sure it isn't too long, I'll give the short version." I ripped another piece of my sandwich, the melted cheese touching my taste buds of my tongue, mixing in with the toasted up bread. "Jeff beat me, Kelly screamed at me, and Travis made sure my life is hell," I brefiated, swallowing my second bite.

"Those are their names?" In order to reply, I had to nod for taking a third bite, for he shall not see chewed up food in my mouth. "They sound awful. They shouldn't treat you in such a way," he spoke seriously, spooning up his soup. He placed the spoon between his lips, slurping it in with no sound. "You should tell the cops about this."

"I would…" Setting my eaten sandwich next to the other one, I sighed. "...but I can't. The cops in Madison are retarted." I saw a disbelief expression, becoming angry about his reaction. "It's true!" I protested, snatching my apple juice which is inside the small, rectangular box. "I was taking a walk at night when I saw two police - a male and female - outside of Stine's house. Zach and his mom were also there. Zach is Hannah's boyfriend. Before he was, he said to his mom that he heard screaming from his now girlfriend before they became an item. His mom doesn't want to hear it, ordering him to go home." Tearing the straw wrapped in clear plastic, I ripped it off, jamming it into the tiny hole of the juice box, continuing. "It was clear as day, or should I say, night, for the damn police didn't look for evidence to see if Hannah's okay. From her scream, it sounded like she was being abused by her own father when I became wrong on what she informed me. You may be living in a different part of Delaware than me; it doesn't mean you can't believe me." Putting the straw in my mouth, I took a long sip. "The cops are idiots." I helped myself to another sip, refusing to look at the newbie.

When I finally did, his expression hasn't changed. "What makes you think they're idiots?" Great! He thinks I made up a story. "You certainly made the next story up." See? See what I mean!? Why I oughta… "Cops do check for evidence, they never ditch it," he said. "They aren't dumb."

"They are too dumb!" I fumed, grabbing my other half of the sandwich, squeezing it for the melted cheese to ooze out between the roasted bread, all over my fingers.

"Sure, sure. The cops certainly aren't dumb. I believe you. It was at night when it happened, I assume," he implied, the disbelief growing within him.

"Hey! You better stop it!" I demanded, releasing the squished up sandwich. "I'm starting to like you as a friend…"

"Why?" he argued.

"Because it's true! The cops where I live are asses!"

"You swore!"

"Whatever! It's not like you aren't afraid to curse!"

"I don't say bad words for it's wrong!"

"Whatever! What I'm telling you is what happened. The cops-" I gave up, shoving my tray away, slamming my forehead down on the table top, creating a loud _bang_ sound. A big mistake I made. "Ow!" Letting out a howl of pain, I grasp my forehead, shooting back up, rubbing the area.

Removing my hand, a startled cry was next to come out. What I saw scared me.

On my hand there was blood smeared across my palm. I knew what had happened.

My stitches came apart.


	33. Chapter 33: A Stitch Replacement

**Chapter 33: A Stitch Replacement**

* * *

My stomach lurched upward at the sight of what's on my hand. Training my eyes forward, I found out where I actually smacked my head. On the _edge_ of the table, the red crimson dripping onto the floor. Dizziness came to at an eruption, while I felt the incredible pain from the ripped off stitches.

I sucked in a breath, shutting my eyes, waiting for it to end. I had hit my head twice - one on a mirror, now on the table edge.

"Jeezus, are you okay?" Leo! I almost forgot about him.

"Do I look okay?" I responded, clearing showing him I am in great, severe pain. "It's easy to tell that I'm _not_ okay," I said, giving him a bit of an attitude.

Leo leaned his head back, eyes squinting. "I was asking…" By the tone of his voice, he did not appreciate the way I spoke out my answer. "Here," he offered, holding out a few napkins. "Take these."

Despite the argument we had seconds ago, I accepted them. I placed them carefully where the gash is at, wincing when I pressed it on the spot. "Dammit," I cursed with a seething breath. I saw his mouth open, but I cut him off. "I said a bad word, yes. It isn't your business." I know I am all snappy, except I couldn't help it. I mean, would you be happy when you smashed the same spot on your head where the stitches are at for them to tear off? I sure wouldn't.

However, he definitely seemed to take to the unlike.

"I was about to ask you where you got your first stitches…" he said, swirling the spoon within the soup.

"I got them here. Before you ask, yes the doctor gave me something so I won't feel it."

"Numbing gel?"

"No, he used a frickin needle, you bitch," I insulted.

His eyes turned from squinting ones to wide ones, his bottom jaw dropping down like a wooden puppet. "Did I hear you correctly? Did you call me a...a _bitch_?"

My face filled with color, burning. In my life I never said the B word until now. The regret filled on me, facing away from him. Getting up from my seat, my feet shuffled out of the cafe, abandoning my half eaten lunch.

"Wait - Come back!" Ignoring him, I sped up. "Stop!" he hollered, the sound of his shoes behind me.

"Go away!" I turned and yelled, the napkins in my hand pressed on my sore forehead. "You're not making go back to get this restitched."

"It'll get infected," Leo told me, catching up. "Why don't you _ask _the person - who ever sewed up your forehead up - to use gel. Numbing gel. It doesn't hurt, believe me."

I merely scoffed. "Right…" I made an eye roll with my hazel colored eyes. "I'm going to ask this doctor to put frickin numbing gel _which will NEVER HAPPEN!" _I shouted out loud. "He doesn't use numbing gel, he uses a _needle_. It hurt like hell when he gave it to me - from the needle." I shuddered at the memory when it was a couple of days ago when I got my first stitches. "I never wanted to happen all over again…"

Noticing how my mood shifted from anger to worry, he walked past me, using his hand to wave forward, presumably for me to follow him.

I, however, planted my feet on the ground. "Nope."

"Come on, you have to trust me," he replied.

"I just met you. I cannot trust newbies," I told him, the erg to cross my arms. I couldn't all thanks to me for being a fool to slam my head on the table edge on the original cut.

Sighing, Leo came up to me, going to a halt when he was about five inches away from me. We both stared into each other. Then, slowly, he raised his hand. At first, I thought he was going to lay his hand on me, preparing myself to get away with my right foot back.

Turned out I was dead wrong, for he grasped the part from his shirt from upper, lefter side, pulling it aside, and spoke.

"Look."

Confused, I inched my way to him. My eyes grew big at what I saw.

A scar. On his shoulder. How did he…?

"I had an accident when I was ten during summer break," he said as if he knew what I was thinking. "I banged it when I hit a broken fence. I was in agony, crying like a baby," he somewhat admitted. I can tell he was a shame from the way he was speaking. "My parents took me to E.R.," he continued, releasing his shirt, putting it back in place. "I was like you - afraid to get poked with a needle. I should've told you I have a fear of needles growing up next to the fear of talking to people." Afraid of needles…? Do his parents…? "My parents know about my phobia of needles…" With a relieved sigh, I relaxed. "...so they asked the nurse for something else instead of stabbing me. At first I thought the nurse will say no, going with the injection move. God, was I incorrect when she placed some clear, cold cream on my shoulder. It felt like ice trickling my bare skin. It got colder and colder, until I couldn't feel my shoulder anymore. It was like I don't have one. Before I know it, it was sewed together - five threads holding the gash closed." Smiling, he ran his fingers through his hair. "I know you won't believe me. I know. Though, you have to. All you have to do is ask the doctor, the one who fixed you up, to give you numbing gel. In case he doesn't, he might have a numbing gauze to put on you."

Biting my tongue, I played his story multiple times in my head. It wasn't long before I sighed. "Alright, I'll do it," I said, due to the nervousness inside my whole body. "I'll ask him to use something else than a painful, stinging needle."

"Actually, it's the stuff the doctors use within the syringe," he simply corrected.

"Whatever," I returned. "It hurt like a demon down at the hell on earth made out of fricken damn stinger at the end of their ass."

"Can you stop cursing?" he asked uncomfortably, shifting his feet. "Those words make me...uneasy…"

"Dude, are you telling me you never said a swear word in your whole life?" I replied, throwing another question to replace the first one when he told me stop with my trash talking.

Leo gave me a solemn glance. "Yes, I am. I never cursed in my entire life. Actually, I did at one point when I was eight." I raised my brows when he mentioned his age. "I shouldn't let out an F bomb in front of my dad," he regretted, rubbing his arms. "Man, did I get a talking to."

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on," I halted him in case he was about to say more. "Are you saying you let out an F bomb in front of your own _father_!?" I exclaimed in pure surprise. "Why would you-? How can you-? Did you- I can't words," I gave up.

"I don't know why it came out," he sighed.

"Was it the word 'frick'?" I asked, wanting to know.

He sent me a strange look. "...Huh?" he questioned. "Oh! No, it was a different F word. Similar to the other one you said early."

I couldn't grasp at what he mentioned, guessing it was difficult for him to run his mouth with things that aren't appropriate for those who never want to hear those kind of words.

Admittedly, I started having a potty mouth around when I was at this age when nobody is around until Zach let out a naughty word - hell - when we were sneaking inside his neighbor's house, starting off in the basement when Champ was with us.

Speaking about the basement, why are there bear traps down there? Taking Zach's phrase, who puts bear traps in their basement?

During our escape from the lawn gnomes, I called over my shoulder at the author about the traps. He answered that he was preparing for something. What, exactly, is he preparing for? Is he worried about his daughter enough to by purchasing those things for a bad guy - a robber - to break into his home? Because if he did, then I'm unsurprised unless I ask him about the traps again to have clearer answer due to getting away from those freaky, little, breakable, put back together themselves, figures.

I mean, I'll give him credit for him to use those as a security alarm system. All the burglar needs to do is to step on one of them to get it to snap close, breaking the peaceful night with full screams of agony.

Scratching at the back of my neck, I rethought about asking the person who fixed my injury, hesitating in doing so.

My hesitation turned into assertiveness, preparing myself for something different from him. Though Leo said the doctor will have something else, such as numbing gauze because I do have numbing gel in the sleeping room, knowing I'll have to give it to the nurse on the day I'll be going home, but I had met him, and when meeting new people, it's difficult to legimity trust them. Especially for those who have been going through a rough time in life, refusing to create friendship like I had way before meeting the people who are now my friends. They'll would never betray me, use me, or anything in the book like others did.

"Are you going to go?" My attention shifted to the new boy when he interrupted my thoughts. "I can go with you," he offered generously. I waved my head side to side. "No?" Again, my head went from side to side, repeating it. "Fine by me," he shrugged off. "I'm going to ask the lady at the front desk who's my music therapist; see you later." Waving, Leo trotted to the front of the building, heading his way to where the front desk is at.

Sighing, I started making my way to the room where I got healed when I let out a groan. "Oh no…" Trevor… I can see him walking down the same hall I'm walking on. "Leave me be," I pleaded in a praying way. There's nowhere to hide from this garbage guy who dilerberty bothers me for no apparent reason. I had no choice. I had to wait to see what he does.

And to my surprise, he brushed past me, the sleeve of his arm going across my arm, jerking it away. He glanced at the back, stopping in his tracks.

A creepy grin smeared over his face, twisting his body around, marching to where I was at. "Look who I see…" he announced to nobody.

I clenched my free hand into a tight fist. "Back off…" I warned, my teeth pressing together.

"Why? You scared of me?" he legitimately teased, laughing. "You know, I'm glad Jackson left this place where he won't have to defend you when I'm here." Trevor stepped closer, taking advantage, forcing me to back up at the wall. "I _hated_ how he talked to me. He needed to be gone…" He stopped for a quick second. "What's this?" he wondered, grabbing for the napkins I have with me. I swatted his hand away hard enough to snach it back.

"Don't touch me!" I tried to sound bold, trying to sound like I'm in business. I refuse to show signs of weakness. I pictured him as one of the _Goosebumps_ villains, imagining him as one of the Sadler ghosts from _Ghost Beach_.

"Aww, did you hurt yourself again?" He burst out laughing, clearly indicating he wasn't feeling bad for the injury I made to myself. "Wait, it's the same spot, is it?" he chortled.

I huffed. "Correct."

"Hahahaha!"

"...it's not funny…"

"Hahahaha!" His laughter went on. "How can you hurt yourself at the same spot? D-Did you hit it against the table at the cafe?" He leaned back, looking like he was about to fall back from the fits of giggles.

Another huff. "You got it…" More laughter. "Trevor, it isn't funny!" I rippled in statement.

He flicked a tear from the corner of his eye. "You right, it isn't funny…" I let out a sigh of relief. "It's _hilarious_!" My jaw dropped when he proclaimed his own statement. "You're stupid for doing such a stupid thing! What a-"

"Grrr!" A growl ran up my throat, lifting my free hand turned into fist, punching him hard at the pit of his stomach.

"Ohh…!" Groaning, he clutched at where I hit him, clenching his eyes shut. Then they snapped open. "You little piece of…" He grabbed me by the shoulders when all of the sudden, he stepped away from me. "What the…?"

Confused, I examined myself.

I couldn't believe it. I saw a white aura around me, around my entire body. What was going on? Before I can figure it out, an electric shock came at Trevor, hitting him.

"Ow!" he screamed, jumping back, shaking his arm. He glared at me, charging, when another beam smacked him in the chest. "Ow! Stop it, you… Ow!" More beams went at him, forcing him back. "Ugh," he gave up. "Fine, be a jerk." He walked off, rubbing at the areas where the beams had made contact.

The glowing white vanished. Gone. Just like that. Like it never happened at all.

"What happened…?" I murmured, checking myself to make sure it's completely gone. "Why did I…?" I was still confused at what I saw.

Why was I glowing in white when the jerk got a hold of me? It was...strange. People don't glow like a lightbulb. Well, minu Zach's girlfriend when I saw her skin giving off that glowing blue color when he and her dad shoved the Venus fly traps out of the school, shutting them out.

Like how I'm wondering how I sensed the evil dummy in Stine's room, I have to wait and find out later in my life.

Or sooner, I have to add in.

Walking down the hall, I saw something at the corner of my eye. Going to a halt, I whipped my head to the right.

I was startled at first when I saw a girl about my age wearing a blue dress with matching shoes. She has the same color hair as me, except it was long with a butterfly clip holding one side in place. The clip is purple. Her skin looked pale - white. Is she sick? It was hard to tell from the nice smile she was giving off.

But it wasn't her appearance that made me stop, it was her eyes. The right one is hazel like my eye color, while the other one is...sapphire.

From looking at her, I stepped up. "Are you lost?" The girl kept on smiling her nice smile. "Do you need help?" I approach closer. "If you're looking for the cafe, it's down there," I directed with a pointed finger at the opposite way.

Her smile turned into an unknown excitement, clapping her hands together with purple fingernails with a flower design on them.

Raising an eyebrow, I was at a lost as to why she was all bubbly. It's like she knows me… Also, she wasn't talking from how...happy she is.

The girl hopped up and down in place, gleaming with joy. She waved like she was saying bye, skipping away with her hands and arms swinging.

I ran after her. "Wait!" I called out. "Who are you?" I exhaled some air into my lungs, pushing my legs to go faster. "Yo, who are you!?" I called out again. "Stop!" Puffing like a blowfish, I had to stop for myself for how my legs are starting to get tired.

I took breath after breath of air, leaning against one of the walls with my free hand on it. I waited for my legs to stop feeling tired when the girl approached me.

Once my legs aren't tired anymore, I stood straight up, eyeing at her, doing my best to avoid staring at her different colored eyes, wanting to know why she skipped away.

"Let's try this again," I said. "Who are you? Actually, the term would be what's your name?" I waited for her to answer me. "Well? Are you going to tell me your name? Tell me what your name is," I urged.

She came closer to me and, to my puzzling state, she wrapped her arms around me. I may have reacted badly, but this was...different. Usually, I would shove someone off when they have themselves wrapped around my midsection. "Uhh…" I uttered.

Releasing her grip, her interesting eyes shifted to mine. "...It's nice to see you again," she whispered.

"Huh?!"

"It's nice to see you again."

"Again? What do you-" I never got to finish my question. The girl looked over my shoulder, vanishing from who knows where. She didn't run to vanish away, she literally vanished - poof - gone. "What happened…?" I pondered in wonder.

It was then that I felt a tap, jumping out of my skin. "Yah!" A startled cry broke out as I spun around to see Leo who had a worried expression on him. "How come you're staring at me like that?" I asked, recovering from my jump scare.

Instead of him giving me the answer I want to hear, he gave me a question. "Why were you running?"

Should I tell him about the girl I saw? No, I can't. He won't believe me anyway, rejecting what I'll say. "Aren't you supposed to be at music therapy?" I folded the napkins, placing it back on my deep cut.

"Rosy said music therapy starts after lunch," he said, gesturing his head where the cafe is at. "I'm going to go back to finish my food. What about you?"

"I rather have my forehead be fixed first rather than to have red stuff all over my lunch. Besides…" I moved some hair out of my vision. "...it'll be over soon," I stated, flinching at the pain. "I need to get to the room. Please step aside."

He chuckled. "You said it politely; go ahead." Stepping to the side, he let me pass. "I'll be finishing up my food; I don't like to waste it. Is it okay for me to have yours in case you don't make it back in time after you get your new stitches?"

"Sure…" I blinked. "Go on ahead. They might be cold, but...whatever," I shrugged in allowance.

"Thanks." He scurried off with me standing there.

I played with my shirt when the silence fell in the hallway. "He's...strange," was all I can come up with to summon him. Turning, I marched to the room I've been trying to get to, hoping - and praying - for the person to give me something else for my old injury.

Reaching the room finally, I saw the door closed tight. I grasp the doorknob, twisting it, pushing the door opened. I was expecting the doctor to be at lunch when I saw him at his desk, signing some paperwork.

I slowly stepped into the room, adjusting my eyes for how white it is. My nose caught the scent of rubbing alcohol people use for their scraps to clean them out when it has dirt on them, burning my nostrils.

Walking up to him, he glanced from his papers. "Hazel," he smiled, placing his pen down. "What brings you here?" he asked.

Here goes… I removed the napkins slowly off my skin.

It didn't take long for him to leap up from his chair, hurrying over to me. "What happened?" He examined my cut. "It looks like you hurt yourself on the same spot," the doctor noted.

"I did…" My eyes lowered in shame.

"Why?" His voice doesn't sound angry, more calm than any other doctor who would be annoyed when their previous patient comes back with the same injury.

I sighed heavily, putting the napkins back in place. "I...was having an argument about something with my new roommate. I was telling him about the cops who are dumb," I explained. "He doesn't believe me at all, ending me giving up, and well, you know the rest." I glanced at him, hesitating to what I need to say next. "I would like for you to use something else instead of a syringe to numb my cut." Flinching, I prepared myself for his response, my head swaying to the left with closed eyes, squeezing them tighty.

"You want me to use something else to numb up your gash?" He doesn't have anything else, I knew it. "Sure, I can give you something else." My head snapped in its original place, my jaw hanging open.

I stammered. "Y-You will? I was expecting you to say…"

"No?" The doctor chuckled. "I never like using the syringes on my patients bloody injury, it makes me all guilty," he said grinning, straightening up white coat with his name tag pinned at the front on the right side. "Also, I don't want you to punch me again," he added jokingly.

"I _almost_ punched you," I corrected, thinking it wasn't funny, "if Jackson wasn't here to pin my wrists down."

"I know." A frown creased over him. "You didn't seem to like it, though," he said, notifying the last time I came here.

I bit the inside of my mouth, gnawing at my left cheek softly. "Nobody likes to be held down… My god father sometimes holds me down when he hits me; the reason why I hate restraint," I believed, knowing for a fact it was the case of it. "Anyway...I would like you to use numbing gauze," I requested the decision. "Unless you have any, of course," I quickly added.

Smiling, he stepped to one of the cabinets, opening it, the door resting against the other one next to it. Rummaging in there, he pulled out two boxes as he walked back to his previous spot. In those boxes are labeled _Numbing Gauze_ on top and on the side, two different colors. "Would you like to use a pink one…" He held the first one up. "...or the blue ones?" he finished, offering me to options of what color I can use.

To bad he doesn't have any purple. However, I cannot be sure. "Do you have purple?" I shyly asked, the bashfulness lingering around, being slow, preparing myself again for him to say…

"I do have purple." Placing the other boxes on his desk, he went back to the same cabinet. "I hardly ever use purple because it's my favorite color." Pulling out a third box, he grabbed the top, tearing it open. "Heh," he nervously laughed. "I tend to not open these up right." He took one out as he opened up one of the draws in front of him. "Lay down on the table," he instructed, taking out a thing of scotch tape.

Obeying, I climbed onto the table, resting the back of my head on the white pillow. I took the napkins away from me. "So much blood…" I commented.

"Does seeing blood make you feel queasy?" It looks like was ready to grab the small garbage can by the way he's looking at me. "I had a patient - a girl who's two years younger than you - who got sick, vomiting on the floor." He scrunched up his nose. "Even on my shoes… I can't blame her, seeing something like blood makes her nauseous. What about you?" He grabbed the garbage can, holding it out to me.

"Blood doesn't make me feel sick." I threw the rawed napkins away. "Though I did got dizzy from hitting my forehead on the mirror, causing it to break, creating lots of cracks," I admitted, surely enough to confess unlike last time for him to not worry about it.

God, I hate it when people do such a thing - concerned about how I am. It drives me up a wall like a spider with more than eight legs. I always dislike it when people noticed about my...blank expression I always held.

I may seem like a boring person in the whole world…

Keeping still, I heard rips from the scotch tape, moving my hands up and down, squinting at the light on the lamp attached to the cool table. Smart.

Carefully, he set the gauze over my deep cut after cleaning it with some paper towels in a gentle way, fast enough before it had a chance to bleed all over for the fourth time.

"I thought it'll sting," I expected by the time the soft item made contact with my skin, being held in place by the clear tape. "Instead, it feels cold - like ice."

"The colder it gets, the more you won't feel a thing," he stated chuckling. "I'll leave it on ya for an hour. You can lay here and relax for awhile."

"I'll miss music therapy."

"That's okay. You can explain to him why you were late today."

"Okay."

Watching him go back to his desk to some more paperwork, I folded my hands over my stomach, eyeing at the ceiling to avoid the bright light, the gauze taking effect on my injuring, getting colder by each minute.

Then I started thinking about the different eye colored girl I saw at the hallway, the way she gave off the nice smile until she started jumping up and down with joy, leaving me baffled. Baffled enough to wonder why she seemed that way. It was a strange thing to witness, but what baffled me the most is when she hugged me.

Factly, I should've shoved her off me like I usually do. Hell, I could've smacked her somewhere in order to get her to stop.

Except, it felt different. I felt calm; relaxed when she squeezed me. And before you go, "Oh my god, are you-" No, I'm completely straight - heterolsexual. I'm not bi or anything else. It explains why Jackson is my crush, though we hadn't made it official yet to become boyfriend and girlfriend.

Probably once I get out of this building, we can. Anyway, she looked like me, minus the two eye color - hazel and sapphire, her skin a pale white like she was sick.

She doesn't look sick when she was beaming in happiness.

What struck me most is when she said, "It's nice to see you again."

Nice to see you again? What the hell does that even mean? I was asking her what she meant when she _literally disappeared_.

Could she be a ghost?

The more I think about it, the more I believe she was. If I see her again, I can ask who she is, along with asking if she's a ghost.

Unless she is, though.

Footsteps came over to the table, and the doctor's face appeared. "The hour's up," he announced. Grabbing the end of the scotch tape, he carefully pulled it off my bare skin. By the time the gauze is off, he threw the item away. "You won't feel a thing," he promised, bringing out a small sewing needle, also along with some black string - the stitches.

At first, the thread won't go through the tiny hole. Licking the end of the string, he tried again. He succeeded. He brought the one end to meet the other. When the ends matched up in length, he pressed them together, forming them into a knot.

Brushing my hair out of the way, he smiled. "You won't feel a thing," he repeated his promise.

Normally, I never did this, never had until now. I gave him a thumbs up in return.

Keeping still like a statue in New York City, I let him do his job. And being completely numb, I didn't feel the small needle go through my skin. Though, I know I'll be burning like hell like last time.

At least I got the numbing gel I need to give back when I leave, I thought.

"So how are you liking it here?" the doctor asked, striking up a conversation.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" I blurted out of nowhere, not near answering on answering the question he had given me.

"Ghosts?" he questioned, intrigued. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do. To be honest, I used to be a skeptic until my ten year old daughter asked me to watch one of her favorite shows on the _Travel Channel_."

"Huh," I responded. "What was one of her favorite shows, Dr…" I glanced at his name tag. "...Harper? Nice name by the way."

He chuckled. "Thanks for the compliment," Dr. Harper thanked. "One of the shows she loves is _Ghost Adventures_."

"_Ghost Adventures?"_ Unaware of the name, I made my eyes go squinting, showing how much I don't know what he's talking about.

He explained while sewing up my nasty gash. "It's a show about these men who hunt for ghosts -good ones and bad ones - with special devices in order to speak to them. They go to different states to go to the oldest buildings, proving nonbelievers that spirits - another word for ghosts - exist on earth, catching lots of evidence. My daughter's favorite person is none other than Zak Bagans."

"He has the same name as one of my friends back home," I mused.

"How is his name spelled? Because they're different ways to spell the name."

"Z-A-C-H," I specifically spelled out with no hesitation.

"Heh, well the one my ten year old likes is spelled Z-A-K," he told me. "He wrote books. However, she's too young to read them of how adultery they are. They do have - for what I call - potty mouths. Luckily, the curse words are bleeped out so the younger ones won't copy what they say." He adjusted the lamp and continued on with the stitching.

"Does she read _Goosebumps_ books?"

"Actually, she does," Dr. Harper replied in full concentration mode while at the same time doing his duty. "When she was really little, she didn't want to read any book me and my wife will give her. Her response will always be, 'I don't want to read it,' or, 'This book is dumb'," he mimicked his own child's high voice. "Then one day, we went to _Barnes And Nobles_, walking her around the store to the younger readers section. In the beginning, she refused every book within the aisle until she saw the books you've mentioned. Jenny, my wife, and I watched our little one go up to the shelf, pulling one of them out. I believe it was titled _Goosebumps Two Thousand: Cry Of The Cat_," he remembered, twisting his lips to the side to see if he was right. "Yeah, _Cry Of The Cat_. When the book was in her tiny hands, she decided to have the book. Her _first book_ out from all the other ones we try to throw at her. We paid for the book, went home, and she ran onto the couch, flipping the book open, reading the story within the pages."

"How many of them does she have?" I asked. "I have all of them from the old ones to the newer ones."

"She started off with one, until she told her step sister who's a couple years older than her loan her own _Goosebumps_ series collection. They were past down by her parents, so she gave them to my daughter." He beamed at the memory. "She wasn't tired of reading them, they're great books for all ages. Though, my step daughter does indeed read other book series such as _Twilight Sagas, Stephen King, Puppy Place, Vet Volunteers, Misty Of Chincoteague, Horse Diaries, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter_. In other words, she has lots of different books. I sometimes call 'Bookie', for how many books she has. She has, like, over one hundred different types of books from horror to fantasy."

I whistled. "That's a lot of fictional books."

"You can say that, but _Misty Of Chincoteague _is a non-fictional book. At least for the first one," he answered.

I frowned. "Aren't books suppose to be fake? For the _Goosebumps_ books, they're considered not real stories."

"Not all books are fictional, Hazel. Misty was a real, wild pony who once lived in Chincoteague, Virginia. I don't know anything about the story, other than the fact that's based in real from a long, long, long time ago - before we even existed. Keep in mind that there are books that are non-fictional. I had read the _Exorcist_ before it was made into a movie, and it's based on a true story. And the book after I was done reading it." He chuckled embarrassingly, like he doesn't want to finish. "Gave me bad dreams - nightmares. The book was too terrifying. I won't tell you the story to avoid spoiling it."

For some odd reason, I gave him a serious response. "Did you threw the book on the wall? My god brother, Travis, will rip a book out of my hands to throw at the wall when I'm in my room," I frowned.

"Heavens, no!" he chortled, shaking his head. "I hid the book in the closet," he chuckled admittedly. "I would never throw a book against the wall; it'll end up being damage." I nodded, his point making sense. I wouldn't throw my book - or any book - against the wall. "I may be a man, but I do get freak out from time to time."

I thought about the last thing he said, about him being scared from time to time. A lot of men believe they should be the brave ones, to show no weakness. They'll affectingly hide their fears, avoiding to show nothing but bravery.

It's plain crap is what I'll say. Women can have courage, too. Guys don't need to be brave all the time. And even though I barely watched TV, I've seen a lot of movies where the girls are always dandrel in distress, where they need saving.

I hate those kind of movies. I don't mind when a guy saves his lady, but they - the boys - need to learn that they don't need to be that way. Champ is a coward - until I was told by Hannah that he saved Taylor from a werewolf, all thanks to her ex who left her.

It's a good thing he became her new boyfriend for the deed he had done. I agree with Hannah, for what her ex did, like abandoning his now ex girlfriend, I'll consider him a coward who ever he is.

I miss Hannah, her friends, my home town. Even Stine, who acted like a father around me. I may not be his daughter, but maybe...maybe he can...adopt me. He's unlike Jeff. He'll never hit me, never do anything to me from what I experienced in the past.

I have the urge to go up the front desk where him and I first arrived here. I've been dying to ask the lady to call him, wanting him to pick me up.

Though, I'll have to scratch that off. I have to wait until I'm better. It'll be hard, it'll take time. I know I can wait. When the medication starts taking effect, I'll become a new person. The label did say it'll take a couple of weeks to kick on. It might be a week, and I'm only on day three because a couple of days went by.

I thought about the patients who are in here with multiple reasons. During my first group therapy on my first day here, some of them have been abused, so I know their pain. Others have depression, like I do. However, I can't say the same with suicidal watch, such as cutting themselves.

I hadn't thought about cutting myself in the last two days. I simply ignored my opposite self that I saw in the mirror, the one who's part of my hulluations, knowing I'll get rid of her by the time my combo takes over.

However, the girl who I saw earlier doesn't explain anything. I was basically seeing things and hearing things; she wasn't actually there.

But… she was there… in front of me… It - I mean, she - cannot be real. The girl with two different colored eyes, the same hair color as me, her skin looking white. It makes me wonder who she is, wondering why she said something, 'It's nice to see you again,' without any explanation before she vanished away right in front of my own eyes.

I'm going to ask Rosy about this female… Because I bet she's a…

"All done." Dr Harper's announcement snapped me back into reality.

I blinked. "Huh?"

"I'm all done. You may leave. Remember, keep the stitches in for…"

"Five weeks," I remembered, sitting up, trying to ignore the burning of the black threads. "And if I'm not here for that long, I'll have someone take them off." Though, I can do it myself. I just have to look for small scissors, sewing scissors, and be gentle with cutting off the stitches whenever my forehead is heal. On top of that, maybe I can wait for two more weeks just to be sure. "Thanks," I added, unwilling to be rude. "For fixing me up again."

"You're welcome, miss," he obliged, putting his equipment away. "Be sure to be careful this time. We don't want you to come here for a third time."

"You won't." Getting off the table, I thanked him again, leaving the area, my forehead going back to feeling like fire, hurrying to the sleeping to put on some numbing gel so I won't have to deal with the new pain. "I hate stitches…" I muttered under my breath, keeping my hands away from them by moving them back and forth as I marched. "You just have to hit your head again, don't ya, Hazel," I scolded myself, angry for what I did at the cafe. "You should've been a lot more easy instead of doing something stupid." I sighed. "Hey, at least he used something else for me not to feel any pain while he sewed it up for the second time." I continued walking where I decided to see Rosy.

Making a turn, I headed for her office, to ask her about the girl. Surely, she'll know about her.

Or so I thought.

* * *

Her office door was open, but I wanted to knock on the doorframe first. Doing so, I gave it three, firm knocks to let her know I'm here.

Looking up from her computer, she saw me. "Come in, please." She waved her hand in a gesturing way. "What brings you here?" Rosy asked when I came up to the desk.

I fiddled around on my feet, rocking back and forth from toes to heels, with the hands behind my back. I have to admit, I'm nervous about telling her about this strange - well not strange - girl that I saw.

Finally, I opened my mouth. "Do you know a girl with two different colored eyes - one sapphire, one hazel - same hair color as mine with a purple butterfly clip, wearing a blue dress with matching shoes?" I described detailing everything about this mysterious teenager. "She's around my age, her skin all white. Is she one of the patients here?" I had to ask.

"I don't think so," she answered in reply. "I've known every patient, what they look like and everything. I've never seen a girl on what you've described." Then, she said something that set me off the ball. "You probably were seeing things. I bet you were imagining this 'girl'-" she quoted. "-that you saw. I know one of your illnesses is schizophrenia, and part of it is seeing things that aren't naturally there."

I shrugged. "She looked real…I...felt her…" Not wanting to argue, I decided to change the topic. "My new roommate seems...nice."

"You mean, Leo?" She nodded, seemingly agreeing with me. "Yes, he's a nice fella. You won't be lonely ever since Jackson left."

Both cheeks on my face burned. "Y-Yeah…" I stuttered, hearing his name. "I can't believe he got better already."

"Well, he was here awhile before you came along to this place." She gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't fret, Hazel, you'll be well enough to go home soon." Her statement hadn't worked, my face saddening up in absence of my crush. "Maybe he'll write to you," she said, lighting up the mood.

The dark cloud kept hanging over my head. "I don't think he'll write me a letter," I doubted, unsure it'll happen. "I don't think he knows the address for this mental hospital." God, can't this place have a different name? It sounds cruel.

"You might be surprised. Doubting isn't always good to say. Never be unsure."

She was right, I shouldn't doubt anything. I've been doubting things ever since my early childhood.

Hmm, Jackson's a great boy. He can write to me whenever he wants. Unless he knows the address. I surely will be surprised if I see a letter from him. Looking at Rosy, I sighed. "If he does write me a letter, be sure to hand the letter to me or leave it on the dresser."

She smiled. "I will," she promised. "Now you better get going to your music therapy. Leo is probably done with his appointment," she ushered, like she was shooing me out of her office room.

Walking out of the room, I made my way to mine and _Leo's _room to retrieve my violin. Except I was still disappointed that she doesn't believe me about the girl whom I saw today.

I know she isn't part of my illness… She was there. In front of me.

All I can do is keep this to myself.

But… who was she? Who? It was all a mystery. A mystery I'll have to figure out on my own.

* * *

I saw Leo on Jackson's bed when I arrived, going up to the dresser, grabbing the tube of numbing gel to smear on my fiery stitches.

He saw me, raising his eyebrows. "Why are you putting on numbing gel?"

"Why else?" I squirt some on my pointer finger. After, I rubbed it carefully on the spot where it's burning. Putting the cap back on the tube, I faced him. "Did you go to music therapy?"

"I sure did," Leo grinned. "Look." He held out his instrument.

"You got a violin!?" I cried out in shock.

Taken aback, he set his own violin and bow next to him. "Sheesh, you don't have to be green with envy." I can tell he was offended by the way he crossed his arms. Damn, does he get offended easily. "Next time you feel that way, I'll ask Rosy for a different room."

Insulted, I started to yell. "I wasn't being green with envy! I thought I'll be the only one, but when I reacted the way I react, you completely took at as offensive!" The expression changed from him while I continued to rant. "I hate - no, I _despise_ where you think - _think - _that I'm jealous! _**I'M NOT A JEALOUS PERSON!" **_Inhaling a deep breath, I released it with a _whoosh_, regaining my control. I saw him sitting there, his mouth dropping open, looking like it was going to fall off at any minute. "I'm not the type of person who's jealous," I repeated. I grabbed my violin case along with the book containing the note pieces. "I'll be back…" Leaving the room, I headed to Dr. Williams therapy room.

On my way there, I immediately stopped in my tracks. It was the girl, the same pale white girl in a blue dress, her different opposite eyes twinkling. She lifted her hand, waving at me, the sounds of the charms on her bracelet, which I haven't noticed before, jingled with a nice charming sound.

Oddly enough, I did the same manner. She hasn't say anything. Though, I'm nagging to ask her what her name is. She could be shy, an understandable thing on why she hasn't introduced herself.

The trouble is, she isn't showing any kind of signs shyness, such as nibbling on the nails nor glancing at the floor. Younger children will hide behind their parents. I consider myself being timid from time to time, shutting myself out in the world.

When I was done waving, the friendly girl disappeared out of the blue like it did the first time around.

Strange. Trudging towards the music room, I slammed into Linda, falling onto my side, landing on my elbow. "Ow!" I sat up, messaging the area when I saw a brush burn. I did not dare to look up at her. "Go ahead, yell at me," I readied myself, ignoring the brush burn.

There was no answer. Glancing behind me, I saw her walk away. My face scrunched up in pure anger.

Quickly getting back to my feet, leaving my violin case and book on the floor, I speed walked up to her, blocking her path.

Her facial features told me she wasn't in the mood. "Move," she unpleasantly said. I stood there, grinding my teeth together, speaking through them.

"You left me on the floor. You shouldn't leave someone like that." All she did was frown boringly. "I know you dislike me, but it's no excuse - _none_ \- to walk away. Yes, I bumped into you, but it wasn't on purpose." Her frown turned angry. "Stop it!" I shouted, ready to pound her with my fists. "I bet you slammed into me on purpose," I accused, pointing a finger at you. "Quit being a prissy ass."

"Why should I? You stole my ex away from me. Now he's your boyfriend," Linda steamed, mocking my stance.

"He's not my boyfriend!" I was getting aggravated, the flames growing throughout my body. "We went on a date-"

"_You went on a date with my ex!?" _she screeched.

"And what's wrong with _that?" _I fired.

"What's wrong? _What's wrong?!" _she yelled, completely blown up. "He's my ex!"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Yeah, your ex. As in, not yours anymore." I uncrossed my arms when I saw her eyes straining close together.

Shooting them open, she raised her hand, and I knew what's going to happen next. Before it can happen, the same while glow appeared, all around me like the first time. The same electricity came at Linda.

Yelping, she jumped back, avoiding them. "Quit it!" she growled, hopping from one area to another. "This isn't funny, Hazel." She yelped out, jumping over one of the electric beams.

I was about to tell her I have no idea what I was doing when another voice beat me to it.

"Leave her alone." It was the girl again. She appeared in thin air, startling Linda. "What?" the girl asked. "Never seen a teenager with different colored eyes?" she laughed scornfully, her hair bouncing on her shoulders.

Wanting a better view, I walked to where I'm centered in the hallway.

"Hahaha!" Continuing to laugh, the girl shook her head. "Man, the look on your face is _priceless!" _I saw tears - good tears - running down her face, gasping for breath with each laugh she let out. Then she stopped, opening her eyes, now glowing. Why are they…? "The next time you go near her, you'll be sorry," the girl threatened, her voice changing, going deeper. "Jackson will be her new boyfriend; I can feel it. She's been too lonely for too long. So…" The glow grew brighter. "_**...stop bothering her, and get out of my view!" **_

"DEMON!" Screaming, Linda took off down the hall, running as fast as she could. She stopped again, whirring her head to the side where I can see one of her eyes. "I'm never speaking to you again," she promised nastily, spitting the words out like glass.

Trying again to speak, she hurried off, saying things under her breath which I cannot make out. Directing my head to the other direction, it took me a moment that the blue dressed girl is out of sight.

I scratched the back of my neck, along on the back of my right shoulder. Where did she go? I wondered.

Shrugging it off, I went over to where I dropped my stuff and walked to see my music therapist.

* * *

**Slappy**

* * *

I was bored, extremely bored. I went onto my side, laying on the bed, pasting my brown eyes on the window, the sunlight smacking the floor in the afternoon. It was a nice day, but sadly, I can't be outside. Papa didn't forbid me to go out there, I chose to, in fear someone will recognize me when I attacked the school with my unloyal friends.

However, my mind was stuck on the time where I had released the monsters, including my older brother, Wally, to get revenge on my father who had me stored away for many years.

Remembering the time I released my big brother, he wasn't all too happy to see me. He glared at me like I was crap.

Telling him about my plan, he agreed to help me. When we got to the mall to the bookstore, I did something...horrible… To my own freaking brother.

Papa has told me Wally never liked me, jealous that I was released from the _Night Of The Living Dummy_ book. When I was in my book, he didn't want to tell me what my brother tried to do to me. I can tell by his voice, keeping myself from asking, though I'll question about this subject some other time.

During Chicago, I freed my friends, going to different areas, unlocking each manuscript, laughing like a lunatic during the night after stealing the moving van, crashing into a tree.

When I was done releasing them, I would carelessly toss the books away, hoping they won't be found. I hid them in a secret area, so I won't actually say where I put them because, well, it's a secret hiding place.

I should've known they'll end up being found. Papa's too smart, which is why we're both similar. Same eye color, same hair style, though he has real hair, while I'm stuck with painted hair. We're both eerie, except he wasn't creepy as before...changing big time by the smile he wore everyday in every room he'll do in.

I actually saw him _humming_ when he was walking out the door with his daughter to his car to drive up to work.

I think he has lost it, to be painfully honest. He has definitely lost his mind. I would prefer the old papa - sinister, antisocial with no interaction with any people of any kind, eerie, ect. I wouldn't get the old one back of how much he'd changed within a year.

I can't believe he has a special someone. I wanted to know who this 'special someone' is, only Hannah doesn't want to say this person's name.

I swear, if it's someone I know, I might scream. Big time. I had never screamed before… Wait, I did, when papa trapped me...in _that thing_. Sometimes I still get pissed off for what happened in the past. It's hard to get go…

The past is in the past, Slappy, I told myself, my wooden fingers curling on the thick blankets, tightening them with my great, empowering strength I've been known for. Another one of my powers like my teleportation magic. I do have a third type of power - levitation. I hadn't used it, mainly because I was busy scaring off those...scrandalls out of my dad's yard right before I went too far…

Relaxing my fingers, I used my hands to push myself off the pillow, surveying the room. It is a nice bedroom, fancy like. When I think about it, this house is the biggest house on Monroe, Fifty-Five Main street, the other ones, the ones I've drove by with the Haunted Car, being an average or small size. I've always been used to being in huge homes, all thanks to the books he'll write to sell out to lots of people - mainly the ones who picked on him for something that shouldn't be made as a joke.

I have no idea how he made duplicates of each book of all the _Goosebumps_ series, unless he has another typewriter, non magical like his old one he'd always use in order to create stories, scary stories to terrorize the folks within this world, the ones who shouldn't exist. The dumbasses who made fun of my creator had lots of payback.

Ah man, did they have a lot of payback. I would laugh hysterically, watching the unmannered people run in full speed down the road, screaming their heads off. On rare occasions, a lad would be crying for his mother after witnessing a walking, talking… Easy, don't think of the D word… A walking, talking...monster. I'll go with monster, for it doesn't start with a D.

Papa's right. I should get over the D word. The problem is, I don't know how. How to get over a stupid word I always hated. It has been a trademark over the years. A lot of the times when I frightened away those bastards, they'll let out the most horrible word - Dummy.

Even my own papa said the word - twice. In the study room and in the forest.

Although, one person hadn't dared to say the awful chunk of a word. The young female at the mall. Oh, wait, she said the false language when I quizzed her on what's her favorite book while the both of us are having a nice...chat...I should say.

My wooden mind bounced over to the time when I first saw her. She looked pretty the way I looked at her, possibly friendly due to the conversation the both of us had a few years back. Unfortunately, the talking led into a trap. A terrible trap. I fell for her trap, leading me to get trapped between the pages of a…

The memory shook me to the core, sending chills down my back. I hadn't hates the girl for doing something like that; she's too pretty to be mad at.

The trouble is...I'm a puppet made out of wood and cloth. No girl ever wanted someone...like… me… Zach even said so when we tried to play _Clue_. Like he was wanted to degrade me to bring me down.

If I wasn't a puppet, and more human, he wouldn't be this cruel. He'll be caring towards his girlfriend, but when he lays his eyes on me, his whole demeanor will change from nice to hatred. I can't help it when I'm like this. It was how I was made by papa, wanting an evil, talking figure.

I bet he'll make sure I don't go anywhere near Hannah, thinking I'll put harm on her like I did last time when I tried to murder with a bombfire, explaining the reason why.

I wanted to break the kid's bones, I really do. I can't, however, knowing I'll get in trouble.

Getting out of bed, I landed on the floor, trudging up to the window to where it points to another yard.

On the other side of the yard is a house, not as big as the one I'm in, half its size. The neighborhood here, from what I've discovered, is more likely quiet. Rarely, I'll watch a few people walk past, talking about different things.

The house was dark, indicating that nobody is living there. Or the people could be living in that house because they're either at school or at work, turning off all the lights to save electricity.

An idea sparked up. A good idea. I can help papa save the electricity in our home. We won't have to worry about it going off for a few weeks.

However, it's daylight out, so all the lights are off. The only time we ever switched them on is at night.

Scratching that idea, which would be a good deed, I sat down under the windowsill to think of something else.

A minute went by when I was able to come up with another good deed. I can whip up something nice for papa and Hannah to eat. Though, I never learned how to cook before. That, and it's in the afternoon, so I'll have to wait around the evening.

Looking around the room, I spotted dust particles on the wooden furniture. Papa has allergies, one of them being dust. During his younger years, I'll see him cleaning the house from top to bottom, getting into the smallest crevices. He'll do it everyday, to avoid a thousand sneezes despite the medication he takes, afraid they'll stop working.

After he was done, him and I will sit down, playing a board game, watch scary movies while he's eating something, and help him come up with plots for his stories. Great times…

Heading over to one of the wooden furniture, I placed a wooden finger on the top, searing across to the end. Gazing, the dust stuck to my finger, all greyish-white.

I don't want to wipe this off with my tux for how much I like wearing the attire. I always wore the same outfit everyday. It's strange how I don't have a smell unlike humans do after they clean themselves by taking showers and baths.

With the dust on the same finger, I left the room, teleporting to the kitchen.

I saw some dishes piled in the sink, either early waiting to be put in the dishwasher, or wanting to be scrubbed clean.

"I'll do the dishes first," I murmured quietly, even though nobody's in the house right now. "Then I'll do the tables next." Since I'm three feet tall, I found a tall enough stool, passing over the cabinet doors underneath the sink, with metal bars attached to the legs. Using them as I ladder, I climbed onto the top where its flat and smooth.

Standing on the four-legged item, I carefully grabbed the dishes, picking them up to set down onto the counter without dropping them. "Papa is going to be happy once I tell him what I did," I said, the first time excitement building up into my wooden chest. Something I never felt in a long time when I startled his human enemies. "He's going to be proud of me," I bet, wrapping my fingers around the handles of the sink, With a quick turn, water rushed out of the faucet. Too fast that some of the water splashed onto my face, soaking the top sleeves of my shoulders.

With an annoyed feature, I reached out to where the paper towels are at, tearing one off. Using the piece of what I ripped, I vigorously dried my face. The water seeped into the texture of the rigged towel, unlike the big soft ones I see in the bathroom, all folded up on the shelves, ready to be used.

I was afraid that the new paint on my face will be smeared, the fact that'll need another new paint job. Slowly, carefully, I removed the towel away, both eyes closed. Lifting up one of the eyelids, my entire body went from stiffed fear to relief.

There was no paint on there. Not a single drop. "The man used some special paint for it not to come off me," I guessed, tossing the now wet towel into the trash can. It went in without falling onto the tiled floor. "I win!" I declared to nobody, seemingly to be talking to myself. What else can I do besides talking to myself? Papa and Hannah will come home around three thirty, leaving me plenty of time for the things I need to do.

I slowed down the rushing clear liquid by turning the handles backwards, watching the thick, pouring stream of water becoming more relaxed.

Letting go of the handles, I reached under the water. Being made out of wood, I was sure the water won't burn me.

But when I did, I jerked my arm away, releasing a hiss sound through my teeth. "Ow…" Adjusting the temperature, I placed my hand underneath the running liquid. With the same wooden smile etched onto my face since I can't make any other facial features, I grabbed the plug, placing it center onto the hole.

The sink began to fill up. I grabbed the dish soap off the counter where it was left from last night from my papa's daughter when she washed the pots and pans from last night's dinner, which are still in the drying rack on the other side of me on the left with the dirty dishes on the right.

I flipped the lid open from the top. The smell of blueberry invaded my nostrils as I let a few drops fall into the water. I can smell, feel, and hear, but I have no taste. I never ate anything in my life. I used to wonder what it was like to eat when I watch my creator eat his food where it'll be a lunch or simply an apple.

The running water mixed with soap, becoming all white and foamy. The water rose up halfway as I shut the sink off, thinking it was enough to clean the plates and everything.

Grabbing the sponge, I dipped it deep into the water. Pulling it out, the hard sponge got all soft and soppy, the soap hanging on.

Thinking it wasn't enough, I put a tad drop of dish soap onto the wet, soft sponge, squeezing it tight.

It foamed over my hand, dripping into the sink. I picked up the first dish, a plate, dunking it into the water. I had watched papa washed the dishes back in Ohio while I sit on the counter to where he had placed me on to keep him company.

I don't think he ever left any room without bringing me along, minus the bathroom where it's off limits.

He treated me as a real son like any father will do. I doubt he'll continue with it from the bad times we had together when I took everything too far from what I'm supposed to do.

This may sound like an excuse, but I couldn't help it to see him get beat up by those bullies. I wasn't thinking at the time when I grabbed a silver blade out of the drawer.

I had to admit, the way those men saw me step up, I wanted to laugh. I was too angry to have one, focused on getting rid of those pests.

When I was done with them, I expected him to be happy, to see a smile. I wasn't expecting him to be disappointed. I thought he'll be proud of me…

Forcing the awful memory out of my head, I reached in to retrieve the plate. Pulling it out, drops of water dripped from underneath the plate with my fingers holding on to the smooth item in a firm grasp, careful to not hold it too tight. Papa has always have nicer plates rather than those tacky ones others have.

With the foamy sponge, I scrubbed the the first dish, removing the grime of what looked like pancakes. Chocolate chip pancakes to be more precise. The way I can tell is that I saw brown stuff dotted at the center, some of it smeared like someone used a paint brush to sweep the melted chocolate like it was paint.

With one plate clean, I directed the faucet to the other part sink, putting it on to warm to avoid scorching my hands as I rinsed off the plate, setting in there in the drying rack in an up and down manner.

Doing the rest of the dishes, I did the same thing. Scrub, rinse, place them on the rack, repeat. There wasn't a lot of them, which meant it didn't take long to wash every single plate and fork.

By the time I finished, I put my hand in the murky water that was once clear, pulling the plug out.

The water lowered before turning into a small whirlpool, the drain swallowing up the pancake crumbs.

When the water was gone, I saw a switch on the wall. I've seen a switch like this back in Ohio. I was curious to see what it does, though I never turned it on. I thought it was a light switch until I managed to flip it up when papa accidently dropped the pill bottle into drain when we both heard crunching sounds down there.

It was when I learned it was the garbage disposal. The look on his face made me want to snicker, except I forced myself not to. He ended up going back to the pharmacy to get a new one, slightly cross that he has to do that. More like annoyed.

Flicking the switch on the wall, I heard grinding sounds from within the garbage disposal, the blades chopping them up.

The smell of pancakes, mixed with syrup and chocolate chips erupted from the drain pipe.

"They won't mind," I thought outloud, shrugging it off. "Now, what stuff do they use on the wooden tables…?" I wondered, climbing down the stool. I don't want to trip and fall, or else I'm going to have to get mended again. I rather be cautious than to be rational like I used to be.

Shoving the stool back in its place, I went back over to the cabinets underneath the sink, swinging them open.

There I saw different cleaning supplies. The first thing I spotted is a cylinder tin with the words _Furniture Polish_, showing a picture of table all shiney.

Taking it, I also grabbed a rag. It was rough to the touch, good enough for the tabletops.

Shutting the cabinet doors, I made my way over to the living room.

Like I mentioned before, I seen papa clean the house years ago back in his first home. I know what I'm doing, like polishing wooden tables.

I sprayed some of the polish on the first table, all foamy like the dish soap. Using the rag, I gently swift it over the tabletop, being extra careful with the strength I have. I would've broken it if I wasn't too careful, and I'll be in trouble.

I wanted to be a good...boy. Boy sounds a lot better than the D word I always hated. I do need to get over it, like my creator said.

With the first table - the coffee table - done, I glanced at the other wooden furniture in the living from the spot I am at.

This is going to take awhile...

* * *

Several hours wet by the time I did the last table - in papa's room. The reason it took a few hours is because of my damn height - three feet tall.

"I want to be taller - like that Zach kid," I wished, walking out of the bedroom. "Than I can reach the higher places without climbing." I moved my arms. "I never knew I can get sore...wood muscles," I said, trying to find the right words. "Papa sometimes get sore fingers after he'll finish a book from writing so much…" The image of me slamming the top of the typewriter case down on his hands came flooding back.

The way I sent him my eerie look when I finished one of the sentences of his new book… The way he cried out in pure agony when I stomped the top part of the case down on his fingers, hearing the bones breaking… The sound all satisfying…

I shook my head fast, forcing the lethal memory out of my 'brain'. I was dumb for doing such a thing to my own father. Now I know how it felt when those brutes attacked me.

Getting out of the room to put the stuff away, I glanced at the attic door, all shut tight. "Hmm. I wonder what kind of stuff is up in that very room." I had the urge to explore up there, but the dangly rope and the hook holding the door shut it too high to reach. I don't even bother getting the chair from the study.

The leather shoes on my feet made a _clunk, clunk, clunk _sound on the steps as I climbed down from the second floor to the previous one.

Once the stuff was put away, I went over to the couch, and sat down on one of the cushions, resting my head on my hand, my elbow on the arm of the furniture.

Trailing my eyes to the TV, the screen was all black, meaning it wasn't on. I felt like turning it on, so luckily the remote is left on the same couch I'm on, right on top of the second cushion.

Extending towards it, I wrapped my fingers around the remote, picking it up the cushion.

I would rather watch regular TV, I decided. Pressing the button on the top right corner in the color of red, the television turned on.

With the television on, I pressed on another button where there's a list of channels to scroll through. When I did that, I went downwards, reading each channel name.

One of them caught my attention. Stopping, I read the name of the channel and the show. "_SYFY. Paranormal Witnesses: The Real Conjuring." _ One wooden brow went up. I have watched _The Conjuring_ the one time, and there are a lot of horror movies based on true events - like this one.

Wanting to watch it, I gingerly picked it that channel to watch the show. Luckily, I was on time, right at the beginning.

Hastily dropping the remote, I relaxed on the back of the couch, my hands behind my head as I watched the show.

As I got started watching it, the front door opened. "Slappy, we're home!"

"You don't need to shout, papa," I told him. "I'm in the living, on the couch, watching _Paranormal Witnesses_."

Hannah set her bookbag down, taking a deep breath through her nose. "Why does it smell like lemon polish mixed with chocolate chips and maple syrup?" she asked, following papa into the same room where I'm at.

"Yes…" He, too, also took some breathers through his nose. "Slappy." When he said my name, I lifted my wooden eyes up to him.

I played with my bow tie. "Yes, papa?" I replied.

"Is there a reason on why the house is mixed with lemon polish, chocolate chips, and maple syrup?" he questioned, his one brow furrowing up, the other one down.

Feeling like a child to where they think they're in big trouble, I became a bit timid. "I thought it would be a good deed to...spark up the house. You know? Wash the dishes and dust up the tables. Heh." A chuckle escaped my lips, sounding slightly nervous. I slowly stopped when I saw him just...staring at me. "...what…?" I was at the brink of being nervous. The way he was...looking at me.

Blinking his eyes, he spoke. "You...cleaned up the house?" All I could do was nod, shifting my gaze away to the television. "Well...that was nice of you to do for us." He gave me an appreciating pat on the head.

I shoved his hand away. "I'm not a dog, papa…" I said, smoothing my hair as if it were real. "So how was school, Hannah?" I then asked after I was done 'fixing' my painted hair.

"It was okay," she replied, pulling off her hair tie to let her hair flow loosely, passing by her shoulders. Bending down, she unzipped her backpack. "Slappy, I'm going to be doing my history homework," she said, standing back up with a good size book, along with paper and a pencil. She jabbed her pencil towards my direction. "Don't come into my room while I'm doing so."

"I have a feeling you're going to poke my eye out." The black, pointing tip looked very sharp, surely enough to leave some kind of mark in one of my eyes. "I can't come into the room while you're doing your homework?" I clarified with her.

Pulling her pencil back, Hannah responded. "Correct. You can hang out with me _after_ finish." Walking away, she clumped up the steps. "By the way." She stopped halfway. "You can put tangerines in the garbage disposal," she advised with a smile. "I've seen Hazel do it, causing the house to smell better."

My eyes went side to side. "I didn't know that." Hannah shook her head, laughing.

"You're funny." Once she gave out that compliment, she went to her room.

When she was gone, I processed at she had said. Funny? I never saw myself being funny in my entire life.

I felt papa sitting down on the couch. "Whatcha watching there, buddy?" He moved the remote, setting it down on the coffee table.

"Huh?" I snapped out of my thoughts. "Oh, _Paranormal Witnesses," _I repeated naturally, rather than being rude for saying it again. "It has something to do with _The Conjuring_."

"We watched _The Conjuring_," papa seemed to remember, removing his glasses off his face, squinting at them. He placed them back on after they've been inspected. "There are movies based on real stories. Though, the movie producers take most of the victims stories, changing it up a notch. But the rest is all true from what they've been told. Have you heard of _Annabelle?" _

Tilting my head to the side, I thought about it. "No… I never heard of her. Why?" The name doesn't ring a bell.

Placing his feet on the coffee table, he placed his hands behind his head. "Annabelle is an evil raggedy Anne possessed by an evil spirit. Or in this case…" He faced me. "...a demon." He finished off with an eerie tone to give it a good vibe, the one I hadn't heard in years. "Would you want to watch it?" Papa asked, scratching the side of his nose.

Thinking about it, I smiled. "Why not?"

Smiling back, papa got off the couch, heading to where the DVDs are at. Scanning at the two inched boxes full of DVD discs. "Let's see… Aha!" Proclaiming in pure delight, he pulled out one of the boxes. "Here it is, the _Annabelle _movie. Sequel to _The Conjuring_."

"Sequel?" I questioned. "It doesn't sound like a sequel considering the different title of the movie," I pointed out smartly.

Chuckling, he opened up the box. "Believe me, pal, it's the sequel to _The Conjuring." _ Walking over to the couch, he snatched up the remote to change the channel. Once he did, he got the DVD remote, using it to open up the black box when we both heard the doorbell ring.

Both him and I glanced at the door when we heard the doorbell ring a second time. "Slappy." Getting my attentioned, I changed my attention towards him.

"Hide."

"Huh?" I didn't understand what he meant.

"Hide," he repeated instructionally, both teeth pressing together. He picked me up with me flinching at the feeling of being touched. "Go underneath the other couch." Groaning, I did as what my master told me.

Walking on over there, I got down on my stomach, arming crawling underneath the small sofa. Luckily, the bottom part is high enough to hide under. I turned to my side, bringing my knees up to my chest, keeping silent. Not moving. Not saying anything, hearing papa's footsteps walk over to the door in a cautious manner.

His footsteps stopped, presumably at the door. "Who is it?" he demanded with a hint of harshness.

"My, did someone have a bad day today?" I heard a voice, a female voice, from the other side. "I guess you're too grumpy to let your girlfriend inside," she presumed in fake sadness to her voice. Wait… Did she say...girlfriend? "I'll be going now…"

At that moment, his voice changed. "Hold on, Lorraine." Lorraine? The sound of the door went into my ears. "Sorry about that," he chucked apologetically. "I...thought you were someone else…"

This Lorraine let out a soft chuckle as well. "No need to be sorry," she said. "May I come in?"

"Of course." Despite me being underneath the couch, the new footsteps can be heard coming into the living room.

I kept quiet as I listened to them…

"How have you been?" the woman asked happily. I can tell by her attitude.

"Doing well, I suppose," he responded.

Peeking out from underneath the flap, I almost gasped to the lady whom my dad is talking to. It was the one from the police station. The one who called me the D word. Why is she-?

"I'm glad you're doing well," she spoke, caressing papa's right cheek. Is this his 'special someone'? Too bad I never had the chance to ask thanks to his daughter for saying the word no. "What about Hannah? Is she doing okay?"

"Yes, she's fine."

"And what about Hazel?"

His tone went from all happy to concern. "I don't know… I can't pick her up until she's well enough. It's all her god parents fault for what they did." A hint of anger washed over him. "Oh, and she had a god brother whom I forgot to mention to you from our last visit. She told me he'll get her in trouble for the things _he_ did. He sounded like...like…"

"A cruel boy?"

He sighed. "You're absolutely right…" Then his attitude changed. "You want some tea?"

"Why, of course." I saw papa get off the couch after her reply when she stopped him. "Hold on, I have something for you. Now where is it…? Oh! Here ya go." She did some kind of movement, except she had her back turned to me from the start of their chat.

I moved back when I felt the wall, unwilling to see anymore. Thoughts pondered all over my mind.

The sound of this Lorraine's footsteps walked around the room, possibly looking around when I felt something sniff at me.

Looking down, I saw a small mouse in the color of grey. His nose twitched as he smelled my suit.

"Go away," I whispered as quietly as I could. The mouse refused to listen. "Shoo!" I ordered in a loud, but also, quiet tone.

The fuzzy thing ignored my command. Its nose twitched, continuing to sniff at me, deepening my nerves. "Get!" I hissed, using my hand to shove the thing away from my suit. "Go find some cheese or some kind of other thing to snoop at." The rodent stared at me with its coal black eyes. I stared back, lowering my brows and upper eyelids. The frightening look I did before to papa's enemies.

Blinking, it went towards the lower part of my suit. This time my eyes widen. "No-!" I softly cried in desperation so this Lorriane can't hear me. "Don't you _dare_-" The mouse ignored me, shoving its face underneath my tux.

It went deeper and deeper. I tried to ignore its nails scraping my stomach, except…

"_**AAAAHHHHHHH!"**_ A scream released from my mouth as I rolled out from underneath the couch. I got up from the floor, reaching into my suit, pulling out the mouse, bringing it up close to my face. "You little twit!" I shouted. "You are so…" I stopped, realizing I was out in the open, dropping the mouse.

It ran off as I tilted my head up to see the woman, the one I saw at the police station staring back at me with fear.

"Crap…" was all I said.

Then she let out a scream of terror.


	34. Chapter 34: We Meet Again

**Chapter 34: We Meet Again**

* * *

**Lorraine**

* * *

I put my sneakers on as I grabbed my car keys, ready to meet my boyfriend. I looked into the small mirror, checking my hair, fixing it up before walking out the door. No need to be untidy, Lorraine, I told myself. Unlike the time when you first met him at the back of your store, covered in poodle fur - I mean hair - all over me after I got attacked by that poodle vampire thing.

Putting on my jacket, I got my purse, and headed out the door, the car waiting to be driven.

I got in the car, buckling up. I place the key into the ignition, starting up the vehicle. I checked my mirrors like any normal being will do before getting onto the road, like a good driver. Though, I did hit a werewolf in jeans and sneakers. Weird...

Getting off my driveway, I drove my way to Robert's house, passing by the police station. The place where I got...

I shook the memory out of my head. No need to worry, I assured myself. All of his monsters are gone - trapped - inside of a book.

Once the memory of being frozen is out of my mind, I began remembering the first time I met Robert and my nephew's three new friends. But Robert caught my attention at the most. To be honest, I had seen him move into his new home with his daughter a few years ago before my sister and her son came to live next door to them.

I did want to say hi to them to greet them, welcoming to their new home. But I decided it was best for them to get settled into their new home.

I did at one point, when Zach and his mom moved here on day one, mentioned that his new neighbor smelled like mint and B.O. I like it, wondering why he smelled the way he smelled until he told me on his first day at his new job at the high school to work as an English teacher.

Good thing too, he needed a new job rather than just writing books.

By the time I got to his house, I parked my car and got out, leaving my purse in the car.

Big mistake...

Walking up to the front door, I fixed up my hair, pushing the curls behind my ears. Raising my finger, I pressed it on the doorbell.

I waited for a few seconds. No one answered. So I rang it the second time just in case he hadn't heard it, even though he's in his thirties.

Waiting patiently, until I heard footsteps, possibly his, coming up to the door. They stopped, and I heard a hint of harshness from the other side. "Who is it?"

The sound of his tone, I pretended to frown. "My, did someone have a bad day today?" I worked up my act, making my voice feel sad. "I guess you're too grumpy to let your girlfriend inside. I'll be going now..."

"Hold on, Lorraine," he called, changing his tone. The door opened, revealing Robert, chuckling. "Sorry about that. I...thought you were someone else," he said.

It was my turn to chuckle next. "No need to worry," I assure him. "May I come in?" I asked politely.

Smiling, he opened the door a lot wider. "Of course." I stepped into his home, shoving the keys into my pocket as I took off my jacket, hanging it up.

As he led me into the living room, we sat on one of the couches, facing each other. "How have you been?"

"Doing well, I suppose," he answered with the same feeling I'm having.

I ran my hand across one side of his face. "I'm glad you're doing well." I put my hand down. "What about Hannah? Is she okay?"

"Yes, she's fine."

"And what about Hazel?" I inquired.

Frowning, he looked away from me. "I don't know..." he murmured, barely to be heard. "I can't pick her up until she's well enough." His eyes went from sorrow to anger, his voice filling up with a bit of venom. "It's all her god parents' fault for what they did," he scowled. "Oh," he seemed to suddenly realize, looking at me, "and she had a god brother whom I forgot to mention to you from our last visit. She told me he'll get her in trouble for the things _he_ did. He sounded like...like..." He couldn't find the right words.

I helped him out before he could have one of his fits. "A cruel boy?"

"You're absolutely right..." he sighed when his demeanor switched. "You want some tea?" he then offered kindly.

"Why of course." Taking my request, he got up from the couch. "Hold on," I halted him. He stopped, turning around. "I have something for you. Now where is it…" I pretended to search for something. "Oh! Here ya go." I blew him a kiss.

He caught it, blowing it back. He walked to the kitchen. While he did, I got up to look around the place. He seemed to have lots of interesting things. Much more unique stuff than I have at my own house.

I walked up to one of his small statues, smoothing my hand on it, being extra careful with the item. I bet it was expensive to buy, possibly over a hundred dollars.

I poked at some of his other items gently as I could. If I break something, I know he'll forgive me.

While I checked out his things, I heard something. A voice. A voice coming from the other couch in front of the window. "Go away. Shoo!" Pause... "Get," the voice seemed to command something. "Go find some cheese or some kind of thing to snoop at." Cheese? Who is...? "No-!" This time, whoever is talking, now sounded desperate. "Don't you _dare-_ _**AAAAHHHHHHH!" **_A loud scream was let out as something rolled out from underneath the sofa. Something very similar... It quickly got to its feet, putting its hand in its tux. It pulled out a little, grey mouse, lifting it face to face. "You little twit!" he started to rant loudly. "You are so..." he trailed off, as if it realized something, dropping the mouse in the process.

As the mouse went off, it tilted its wooden head up at me with me staring back at him with fear, memories from the police station returning back into my head.

Its mouth dropped a bit. "Crap..." he mustered out.

I couldn't hold it any longer. I screamed in horror.

The figure, the wooden figure I have now recognized, covered up his ears. "Ow! Hey, watch the screaming," he said, unhappy about it.

"Oh, my God!" I cried, freaking out, grabbing one of the items that was closest to me. "It-It-It-" I couldn't speak straight, clutching whatever I have in my right hand.

Putting his hands in front of him, he stepped forward. "Yes, it's me, and whatever-" He was cut off when I threw the item at his forehead. "Ouch!" Rubbing the area on where he got hit.

"Don't come any closer!" Grabbing another item, I heaved it at him, but he managed to dodge away. So I grabbed something else, throwing it at him.

He dodged a second time. "Ooof." Grunting, he slammed on the floor with a hard _thud_. "Okay...this is going on to a bad start…" He raised himself up, walking forwards, his eyes locked on my own. "Look, I don't wanna-"

I kicked him right in the stomach. "Get away from me!" I screamed.

"Ugh..." Moaning as if he were in pain, he sat up slowly. "Boy, this a great start," he muttered with a hint of sarcasm.

I turned around, hurrying out of the living room, yelling. "Robert! Robert! _**Robert!" **_In desperateration, I ended up screaming his name for the third time. I faced the other direction, gasping when I saw the wooden...devil getting back up again. "Rob- Ow!" When faced forward, I slammed myself into the wall.

Messaging the areas where I bumped it, I ran to the kitchen. "Robert!" In fear, I saw the dummy coming towards me. "No!" I searched for something - anything - to keep the evil thing from getting any closer.

The little shoes tapped on the floor made out of polished wood from the doll as it got nearer. He raised his hands in front of him, like he was surrendering or something. "Lorraine, quit-"

"How do you know my name!?" I screeched, snatching some kind of large bowl with pretty decor painted on it.

"Duh!" He gave me an attitude, rolling his eyes. "I heard papa say your name," he reported, gesturing his hand. "While being underneath the couch until- Hey, where are ya going?" he called, seeing that I was running away from him. "Come back here!" Still ignoring him as well as fearing him, I kept calling out to my boyfriend in panic.

"Robert! Robert!" My voice got higher and higher when I bumped into him.

He regained his balance, fixing up his shirt. "Lorraine, what's going on?" He looked down. "Is that a large bowl in your hands?" he asked.

"Robert, the-the-the-" I couldn't speak any words, my arms shaking. I thought I was going to drop the bowl, so I gripped it tightly when I was able to get the words out of my mouth. However, before I can even say anything more, we both heard the little shoes. Quickly, I spun around, seeing the wooden doll walking up to us. I raised the bowl when it got taken away from my loved one.

"Whoa, Lorraine, it's okay." Setting the large bowl on a table along with the empty cup, he grabbed ahold of me.

"Th-That _thing_ was at the police station," I managed to say. "_That dummy froze me!"_

At that moment, Slappy, yes I remember his name, snapped. He stamped his foot on the floor. "That's it!" he declared angrily, walking up to him, jabbing his finger at us. "This the second time you called me - Hey!" Robert had released me, grabbing ahold of the creature. "Put me down!" Ignoring his protest, my soulmate turned his attention at me.

"I'll be right back. Go in the living room and wait till I come back." Nodding my head, I did as I was told, inching my way to the living room, eyes on Slappy who is struggling to get out of my sweetheart's grasp, cursing at him.

"Let go of me you frickin dumb ass, you stupid dumb piece of crap!" I heard him insult with such...horrible words. Once I got to the living room, I watched him pass by me with the monster as he kept spewing out lots of insults. "You're such a stupid dumb bitch, I don't like being touched-" Don't like being touched? "-anymore all thanks to my idiot friends who betrayed me-" Betrayed? "-inside the new book, and blamed me for letting Hannah get away before I can even kill her! I said put me _**DOWN!"**_ The raging went on as I watched Robert carry the deviant being who continued to blow out lots of fits, getting quieter as he walked up the steps.

I leaned back on the couch, closing my eyes. "I bet he's gonna lock him up in something," I hoped for the better. "He clearly got out of the new manuscript that Robert told me about when he explained about Hannah not being a real human being until now when she was in there with the other monsters." I chuckled. "It's alright, Lorraine," I reassured, patting the arm of the couch while rubbing my forehead. "He'll know what to do."

* * *

**Stine**

* * *

With Slappy squirming in my hands, not giving a damn about him not liking being touched for right now, brushing off the harsh words he launched out of his mouth. I didn't care if called me dumb ass or a piece of crap or things like that for the matter. The one and only thing I care about is giving him a stern talk.

The rope dangling from the attic door brushed against my face. I hadn't stopped when he got a hold of the rope. "Put me down!" Slappy demanded, gripping the material.

"Let go of the rope," I said, pulling him, except I don't have the strength that he owns.

"Make me," he challenged with an attitude you'll see in bad teenagers who do bad crimes like in the show _Beyond Scared Straight_.

Getting ahold of the rope, I did one, hard tug, managing to get it out of his grasp. He kicked me in the stomach, and I had no choice but to put him down. Luckily, he didn't kick me hard unlike the Invisible Boy who punched me in the same spot back in Horrorland. God, sometimes I can still feel it. Stupid bastard. At least I don't have to worry about him anymore. Nor deal with him. The only monster I have to deal with is this guy - Slappy.

Taking a hold of his cloth arm, I got to his level. "In the study..." I hissed through pressed teeth. "Now," I added, hauling him forward to the room next to us.

Landing on his knees, he gave me an annoyed look. He got up, brushing his tux like there was dust on it despite the fact that the floor is cleaned. Walking into the room, I closed the door once he was in there.

"It's not polite to throw someone, papa," Slappy said, the annoyed expression still glued to his face as he straightened out his tux, fixing the sleeves. "Even when you're dealing with someone like me."

"Don't-" I pointed a scolding finger at him, "-tell me what's polite or not," I spoke harshly. "What you did wasn't nice," I told him.

"Excuse me?" His eyes widen, sending angry eyes right back at me. "I was going to tell Lorraine to what happens when she calls me a du-"

"How do you know her name?" I interrupted.

Slappy twirled his foot from side to side. "I...uh...heard you say her name..." he explained lamely, almost mumbling it.

I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "I shouldn't have said her name... I regretted, releasing a heavy breath. "She screamed when she told me you froze her at the police station. Was that true, Slappy? Did you freeze her? It'll probably explain why she was gone for a while when the kids and I are heading to the high school to get my typewriter."

"I hadn't frozen her," he answered. "The Bug-Eyed Aliens did," he tried to blame, hoping it'd get him out of this kind of trouble.

It hadn't.

"Slappy, _you_ were the one to tell the Bug-Eyed Aliens to freeze-"

"She called me a dummy!"

"That doesn't matter," I said. "It's an awful thing to do to a person - like biting Hazel."

"I don't care." Crossing his arms, Slappy turned around, his head down as he faced the floor. "What she said triggered me... I hate being called the D word. And my apology is for Hazel only, not to this Lorraine." He sighed. "Unless Hazel _does _take my apology - and lends me a second chance, like you and Hannah are. I know Zach doesn't believe I'll change. Probably the same for the weird kid he's friends with, but..." Another sigh escaped from his lips.

"You know." Slappy turned when I began speaking. "Just because you did something horrible to both people, doesn't mean you cannot apologize to both of them. You can start with my girlfriend."

"I don't wanna..." He shook his head, walking over to the repaired window I had gotten fixed months ago after the monster invasion.

I shrugged. "Suit yourself." Turning around, I made my way out the door, stopped, and glanced over my shoulder. "You can come downstairs when you're ready."

"Mm." Slappy simply shrugged, staring out the window.

Walking out of the door, I shut it, wanting to leave my creation in there for alone time. Then, I went down the stairs, entering the living room to see my girlfriend clutching one of the pillows from the large couch.

Making my way over to her, I saw the terror on her face after seeing Slappy. "Lorraine?" She blinked, shaking her head as if to get something off her mind - like what happened at the police station. I sat down next to her, eyes on the floor for the fear of looking right at her as I felt her eyes on me. "I'm...sorry," I began talking rather quickly, apologizing. "I wanted to tell you about Slappy. I never knew you met him when you screamed that he, well, when the Bug-Eyed Aliens froze you, but I know he was the one who told them to freeze you..." Biting my lip, chewing on it, I couldn't go any further, waiting for her to start yelling at me.

Silence filled the air, my fear getting higher by each second. The only sound was the ticking clock on the wall, which kind of makes it eerie to be honest.

Removing my glasses, I placed my face into my hands. "I know you're angry with me, darling," I muffled into them, feeling awful for not telling her about this sooner. "I'm such a horrible boyfriend to you. I told you about Hannah, for what she used to be before I brought her back into the real world, but..." With my lips getting dry, I wet them with my tongue. "...I was mortified to tell you about my dangerous creation of all time. And when I think about it, I should've told you about Slappy. I told you about my adopted daughter, I told you about the monsters I've written over the years..." Yes, I did tell her about my other creations when I had my first date with her since she asked me what kind of monsters, demons, ghouls, and villains I've made. "...because those monsters are a lot more comfortable to talk about than wooden puppets and dolls. So I understand you don't wanna see me ever again because of this." Again, I sat there, waiting for lots of angry screams.

Instead, I felt her peck my cheek. This caused my head to lift up. My eyes are wide with surprise. Normally, a smile would creep onto my face. Except I was in too much of a shock to where my lips are stuck into a small O shape.

She gave me her prettiest smile, the one I had seen when I first met her. "I would never leave you," she said with promising words, taking my hand, placing it into her own.

"You mean..." I put the glasses back on my face, pushing them up so they're on the bridge of my nose. "...you aren't mad at-"

"Why would I be mad?" she smiled. "You told me about your ex-wife, Hannah, the monsters you created, and I never got mad. I actually always have a positive attitude - except when the poodle with fangs attacked me."

"But you were _screaming_," I stated.

"Yes, I was scared when I saw Slappy." She brushed her curly locks behind one ear. "He gave me a good scare, too," she added, crediting my evilest villain. "I can warm up to him. Although, I do have a question. Why is he out of the manuscript with the other monsters in it?" she asked, pushing her eyebrows together, curious to what I would say.

I chewed the inside of my mouth, gnawing on my left cheek. "I...let him out."

"Why?" The same surprised expression returned to her. "He's evil, Robert, why would you ever consider him letting him out of the book?"

"I wanna give him another chance," I explained. "I know he's evil, but I know he can change. And when I think about it, I believe he is changing. Slowly. I also got him out of the book because apparently his friends turned their back on him, much like I did years ago. They attacked him, leaving scratches all over him-"

"I didn't see any scratches," Lorraine said, even though she hadn't meant to interrupt.

"I had him get fixed up," She nodded after I told her. "However..."

"However?" she prompted.

"In the book, before I let him out, he...tried to kill my daughter." I cringed, remembering the story Hannah told me then to the boys. "He and the monsters put up a bonfire and Slappy was pretty much jealous when I first created her because he thought I replaced him, but I explained to him I would never replace him. I created Hannah so I can be, you know, more human. I got mad at him for trying to hurt my daughter after pulling him out of the book. It took my daughter a while for her to get used to him, but it didn't take long once he said sorry to her. I cannot consider them being pals, or siblings, at this moment."

"Well, that's good. Does anyone else know besides Hannah and I?" I became quiet. "Robert?" she called my name. "Are you okay? All I asked was if anybody else knows that Slappy is released from the manuscript." I was still quiet. "Robert," she repeated, " does anyone else know?" she asked for the second time.

I shook my head. "Yes, Hannah's boyfriend knows and so does Champ." Pausing, I let my eyes trail to the floor, looking at the legs of the coffee table. "...everyone but Hazel."

"Hazel?" Again, I faced her when I saw a face full of confusion. "Why hadn't you told her?"

"I'm afraid to tell her, alright?" I raised my voice, although keeping it low. "I'll tell her when I pick her up at the mental hospital. Slappy had attacked her during the invasion we had with my creations. He _bit _her, leaving strange words that bring him to life. And when we're at Horrorland-"

"Horrorland? What's that? Sounds like an amusement park."

"It is. Anyway, while we were there, we were looking for a manuscript since I opened it years ago, back when I was younger, so everything from that book got released - the rides, the Horrors, games, everything. We were also looking for the Invisible Boy who I had forgotten about since I wrote so many stories. Both him and Slappy said to Hazel that we were 'pretending' to be her friends..."

"Why?"

"...I'm not sure... I guess they did that for her not to trust anybody, like I had done. I never trusted anyone back then because all my neighbors would make fun of me for being stuck indoors because of my damn allergies." I let myself lean on the back of the couch. "Hazel is going to be so pissed off when I tell her about Slappy. She's going to throw a huge fit," I know for a fact.

"She may get upset..." Lorraine spoke. "But I know for sure she'll warm up to him. It may take longer since she got attacked by Slappy, and what he and the Boy said to her, but don't worry, she'll get used to him. Just like me, I can warm up to Slappy. I can get used to him." She clicked her tongue at the roof of her mouth. "By the way, why does Slappy hate being called a dummy?"

"I have no idea," I said in reply, moving my glasses up to pinch the bridge of my nose. "He does need to get over it."

"Should I apologize to him? For calling him a dummy?" she asked.

"It's best for you to wait until he calms down. I do have a feeling when he apologizes to you, he thinks you won't forgive him," I said.

"He's wrong. I'll apologize to him right now." Before I knew it, she got up from the couch and made her way up the steps.

"Lorraine - hold on for a sec." I got up off the couch, almost tripping in the process. Getting halfway up the stairs, I grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Sorry, but I really think you should wait. I told him he can come downstairs when he's ready." I got up from the couch. "You wanna watch a movie?" I quickly changed the subject. "Slappy and I were going to watch _Annabelle_, so..."

"I'll watch it with you," Lorraine smiled.

Smiling back, I began hearing the teapot going off in the kitchen. "Oops!" Hurrying over to the kitchen, I heard my girlfriend giggle. Mainly because I forgot that I was making tea for her, after I offered to do so.

The teapot got louder. I put my one hand over one of my ears, reaching forward to turn the stove off.

When I got it off, I put down my hand that was covering my left ear. "I hate it when the teapot makes those squealing sounds," I talked to myself, moving it over to another burner after the other turned back to its original color, not bright red anymore. "The sound is worse than a mouse." When I said that, I went to open the cabinets when I saw a little brown rodent on the counter.

Great. It's a mouse. There's a frickin mouse in my kitchen, I thought. "Come here, you!" I shouted, startling the furry rodent. I went to grab it, but it scurried away, and disappeared out of sight.

"Robert?" Lorraine's footsteps came from the kitchen doorway. "I heard you yell. You okay?"

"Yes," I responded, taking down the teacups and placing them down as I shut the cabinet. "I just saw a mouse. I'd try to catch it, but it ran off."

"Slappy found the little guy first," she told me. "You should let him catch it - or have an exterminator to take care of it."

"Good idea," I agreed, pouring the tea into each cup. "Here you go." I handed one of the cups to her. "I wasn't sure what your favorite tea is, so I'm giving you Hannah's favorite tea flavor."

"Speaking of Hannah, where's the girl at?" Lorraine sipped her tea, following me to the living room after I grabbed my own cup.

"Upstairs doing her homework. She has history homework." I set my cup down on the coffee table. Then I went over to the TV, put the disc of the _Annabelle _movie in the DVD player that was open by Slappy.

Once it was in the center nicely, I went to grab the remote that was on the couch, but since Lorraine is sitting next to it, she got it in her hand first.

"Beat ya to the remote," she grinned, waving the remote in the air. "I'll start the movie," she offered.

"Sounds good." Sitting down next to her, we waited for the previews to pass by, and by the time the main menu came, she hit the _play_ button, and the movie started. "It's a really scary movie," I warned Lorraine, getting her attention. "Lots of jump scares."

"Maybe you should keep me safe during those frightening moments." I began blushing when she said that to me and before I could do anything, she leaned herself against me.

At first I wasn't sure about this. It's been years since I dated and got married ever since what my ex wife had done, like cheating on me for another guy.

I knew Lorraine would never cheat on me for all the trust we have for each other. So I wrapped my arms around her, cuddling in return.

"Do you and Hannah watch movies?" Lorraine asked while watching the movie on the television.

I chuckled. "We basically watch scary movies every night. Although..." I raked my fingers through my hair. "...Hannah doesn't really like this movie too much. When I first brought it home, she was, at first, excited to watch it, but got too scared when we got halfway through it, so I had to take it out. She had nightmares for about a month."

Lightly laughing at my story, she adjusted herself, blowing a piece of hair away from her face. "When I was little, I watched a scary movie. I cannot say I remember what it was, but all I remember is a girl getting possessed by some kind of demon."

"You mean _The Exorcist?" _Her head went up and down. "How old were you?" I asked with both curiosity and concern.

She at first hadn't answered. I waited patiently with the movie playing on the screen still. "...I was five when I watched it," she finally responded.

My eyes bugged out my head. "Five!? You were five when you watched it? Why would you watch a thriller movie?"

"Thriller movie?" Lorraine questioned. "I thought the movie I mentioned is a horror movie."

"The genre for that movie - _The Exorcist _\- is a thriller type. Yes, it's scary, but has more thriller mixed in with horror," I explained.

"Oh..." I can tell she doesn't understand because I shall not repeat the explanation to her for a second time. She knows all too well that I hate repeating myself. "I wasn't the only one who watched it. Gale watched it too, but she was at the right age for scary movies. Actually, our parents told her she can't watch a scary movie unless they're in the same room with her. For me, I wasn't allowed to watch scary movies until I was the right age as she was. But..." She chuckled. "I was too curious to see what a horror movie is so I watched one. I did get in trouble thanks to my sister. I was grounded for a week with no TV."

"Well, she has the right to tell on you. Back when I lived in Ohio, I grew up with two younger siblings - a brother and a sister."

"Wait." She sat up and had a questioning look. "You never told me you have younger siblings," she stated.

"I know," I answered. "I don't bring them up because like my bullies, they also made fun of me. Luckily, my mom and dad took care of it, telling them to quit it or else they'll be grounded for life. That got them to shut up."

"Good thing, too. I never met your siblings. Were they your older siblings?"

"No, I was their older brother. Younger siblings do tease their older ones like older ones tease their younger ones."

"Glad Gale and I got along - except when we have arguments. It's all part of our sisterly love. Even couples get into fights."

"They...do?"

"Yeah... Why are you all hesitant all of a sudden?"

"I'm not hesitant, sweetheart," I shook my head. "I...just thought fighting is a bad thing. You know how I am when I get angry. Before I met you, Hannah and I got into this talk. It's about me being overprotective of her and her not staying away from your nephew. She asked me why she couldn't have any friends, so I gestured to my manuscripts that were onced locked before Slappy and my other evil creations got released. She said it wasn't fair, saying I shouldn't keep her locked up like a slave when she's not. I never called her a slave by all means. Never said anything bad to her or beat her. I tried to keep calm when I tried to get her to understand why I have to keep her in the house at all times. We had this conversation many, many times. During that time though, I guess my anger got the best of me. I was out of control that I almost had the urge to lock up Hannah into her book, thinking it'll keep her away from Zach for her not to ever see him again." I removed my glasses, twirling them around, the environment in front of my vision going into a blur. "I ended up tripping over the lamp cord in the study room, knocking the lamp onto the floor after I fell. I guess Hannah's lucky that I didn't trap her back into her manuscript." I placed my glasses back on, my vision all cleared up. "I...stay away from arguing to make sure I don't blow up like I had months ago."

"Robert..." Bringing my attention, she had me face her. "Everybody has fights in their life. I actually believe it's healthy when people, like couples, argue." All I can send her is a baffled look. "Yeah, it may sound weird, but it's true. People will end up fighting over something then they make up. You and Hannah had an argument but you two never drifted apart from each other. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"...I think so..." The thought about arguing and fighting being a healthy thing does sound strange... When I'm with my girlfriend, all I see is her perkiness. Never a dull moment in her character. Does she ever get angry? I wondered to myself. I should ask. "Lorraine?"

"Hm?"

"Do you...ever get mad or get annoyed with something or somebody?"

"Yes, I do. I may not look like a person who doesn't get mad or irritated at something. Just because someone who's bubbly, like I am, doesn't mean they won't get angry or get irritated about something or someone. I get irritated whenever my sister calls me to cook up dinner for her and her son, despite the fact of me telling her to learn to cook so they won't have to keep on getting take-outs or me having to make for them. I won't mind, so I have to tolerate it."

I clicked my tongue at the roof of my mouth. I never in my life ever thought of Lorraine getting mad or irritated at something - with cooking for her sister and nephew. I cook since I don't want my daughter to end up burning or cutting herself. Although that was years ago. I now let her help me in the kitchen whenever she wants to.

My thoughts are washed away when Lorraine leaned against the side of my body. I returned it by wrapping an arm around her shoulders as we continued watching the movie. We may have missed a few minutes of it with our little chat, so it wasn't a big deal.

We were halfway through the movie when we heard footsteps coming down the steps. At first I thought it was Slappy. Instead it was Hannah, walking up in front of me. "Dad, may I go over to Zach's place?"

"Did you finish your homework?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied. "May I go see Zach? He called me after I finished," she said.

"Go ahead," I gave her permission, waving my hand like I was shooing her away, a smile on my face. "Go see your boyfriend."

Smiling back, she responded. "Thanks, dad." She raced to the door, stopped, and turned her head to our direction. "I'll be back for dinner," she promised. Slipping on her shoes, she turned the doorknob, and walked out of the house.

Onced she was out of the house, I reached over, picking up my cup of tea off the coffee table. "You wanna stay for dinner?" I took a sip of my tea, offering my invitation.

"I would like to..." Her answer got me grinning. "But I can't." The grin ripped off my mouth. "I have to get up early - really early - for work and I won't be home until late. When saturday hits, we can go out to eat. Do you like sushi?"

"It's been awhile since I had sushi, so yeah, I'm up for another dinner date this saturday," I said. "I do have a meeting on that day, though."

"On a saturday?" She tilted her head with a quirked eyebrow.

"It's for the _Spring Dance_ that's coming up in May," I explained to her. "We have to know what directions to you, whether or not to let the dance be outside depending on what the weather's gonna be like, and we need entertainment. The last dance had a DJ, and we're thinking of having a band for this dance."

"What kind of band?" she asked curiously.

"We don't care what kind of band it is. We're thinking about a band that sings all kinds of songs from rock to pop to whatever. We are going to send emails to people, and if one of them comes over after school hours, Gale, Principal Harrison, and one of the students are going to rate to see if the band is good enough for the dance. By the way, the meeting for this saturday starts at ten and won't end until four. We can have our date around six thirty."

"Great!" She pecked my cheek. "And if you want to on your other meetings, I can spend time with Slappy."

I set my half filled cup back on the coffee table. "Alright. But I'll warn you, he's a stubborn guy. He did apologize to Hannah to what he's done to her in the new book. He had broken all my fingers. He never apologized for it, but I forgive him anyway."

"He broke your fingers?" she repeated. "You never told me that," she stated.

"Yeah, he did." I shifted around a little, the memory coming back into my head. "I was typing and he was there in the auditorium where Hazel and I were. He improvised his own line in the new story and, without thinking, I placed my hand in the typewriter case with him slamming the top part down hard on my fingers."

"Then how do you bring Hannah back?" she then asked. "You can't type with broken fingers."

"I had to wait until they heal. After they healed, I began writing _one more_ book. It took several weeks to finish it, but it was worth it. I'm glad to have my daughter back - and Slappy."

"That's good to hear," Lorraine smiled, continuing to watch the movie.

"Yeah..." I lightly responded. "I do have a special plan whenever I bring Hazel back home. I've been thinking about it ever since she first started living with Hannah and I."

"Really?" She seemed intrigued. "What type of special plan?"

"I'll tell you on our date. I don't want my daughter nor Slappy to know," I promised.

We then continued to watch the movie, my plan jumbling in my head.

And I cannot wait to tell Hazel.


End file.
